Former President Donald Trump's envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday. They arrived from Moscow, where they had held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin the previous day. These back-to-back visits represent a new step, supported by the United States, to restart stalled efforts to end the nearly five-year conflict.
Kushner and Witkoff arrived in Kyiv by train after flying from Moscow to the Polish border. Zelensky welcomed the delegation and stated that Ukraine was ready for substantive talks, noting that Kyiv had already met with its negotiating team and that "proposals are ready." He emphasized Ukraine's continued desire to find a constructive solution to end the war.
Both Moscow and Kyiv agreed to temporarily halt airstrikes on each other's capitals to allow the delegation safe travel, bringing a measure of calm to an actively conflict-ridden region. However, no major ceasefire occurred, and hostilities continued elsewhere on the front.
The trip followed a meeting in Moscow, where Witkoff and Kushner spent more than three hours with Putin. Russian state media released footage showing a cordial conversation between the two; Witkoff spoke warmly about the personal significance of the visit, while Putin praised both and described working together as "a comfortable experience." However, Putin showed no willingness to abandon longstanding demands requiring major concessions from Ukraine.
A White House official told NBC News that the talks in Moscow focused on "a concrete plan for next steps" to end the war, and promised that those steps would be announced in the coming weeks. The official said staff from the National Security Council, the State Department, and the Treasury participated in the Moscow meeting. Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov described the talks as "concrete, constructive, very clear and trusting," noting that this was the US delegation's eighth visit to Russia; Ushakov also conveyed Putin's best wishes to Trump.
Zelensky sees the Kyiv meeting as an opportunity for concrete progress. In a public speech before the U.S. team's arrival, he said Kyiv wants "the most constructive, concrete visit and dialogue" and is ready to explore any realistic options to end the fighting. He further stated that Ukraine is ready to listen to what Kushner and Vitkov have learned in Moscow.
This new diplomacy comes as Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian cities and is taking advantage of Kyiv's dwindling supply of U.S.-made interceptor missiles, essential for protecting energy infrastructure. In recent days, Russia has carried out attacks on key locations in and around Kyiv, including a drone strike on the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) headquarters and attacks on Kyiv and Boryspil airports. Zelensky linked some of the airport attacks to preparations for a potential U.S. delegation visit to Kyiv, saying they appeared to be a reaction to discussions about U.S. aircraft entering Ukrainian airspace.
Despite these pressures, Zelensky insisted that Ukraine would not allow security risks to derail diplomacy. He confirmed that the planned meetings in Kyiv had been approved and that Ukraine was committed to substantive negotiations.
Returning to Washington, Trump expressed support for the envoys' mission. Speaking from the Oval Office before their trip, he said Kushner and Witkoff were "doing a great job" and that their goal was to explore whether a deal could be reached. He said, "We've sent them to see if we can do something," and added that there could be a "good chance" of success.
Experts have warned that reaching any agreement will be difficult. Putin's demands have historically required major concessions from Ukraine, and Kyiv has repeatedly insisted it will not cede its sovereign territory. The battlefield situation has remained largely unchanged, and external factors have exacerbated the fighting—such as Iran's regional actions diverting international attention—making the path to a negotiated settlement difficult.
Nevertheless, the high-profile shuttle diplomacy by Trump's envoys is a major attempt to restart talks after months of little progress. If Moscow and Kyiv can translate the meetings into concrete proposals acceptable to both sides, it would be a major success. For now, participants say further steps will be outlined in the coming weeks, and both sides are closely watching whether the talks provide any concrete momentum toward ending a war that has claimed thousands of lives and damaged the region's stability.
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