Washington: US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kyiv on Sunday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after a three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow produced no announced breakthrough.
It is their first official visit to Ukraine in their roles as Trump’s peace negotiators and comes as Washington tries to revive efforts to end Russia’s more than four-year-old war against Ukraine.
Senior Ukrainian officials received the two envoys in Kyiv. National security representatives from France, Germany and Britain were also expected to participate in the discussions, underscoring Europe’s push for a role in negotiations over any settlement.
Witkoff and Kushner travelled to the Ukrainian capital after meeting Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday. The Kremlin confirmed the talks but released few details about their substance or outcome.
A White House official said the parties discussed the war and possible next steps. No agreement or timetable for further negotiations was announced immediately after the Moscow meeting.
Zelensky had confirmed the envoys’ itinerary ahead of their arrival.
“Today, it has been clearly established that US envoys will be in Ukraine and Russia in the coming days,” Zelensky said in an address released by his office. “We have the details from the US President’s team.”
“We discussed today that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Moscow and then Kyiv on Sunday,” he said.
Zelensky also spoke with Witkoff and Kushner by telephone on Saturday as they began discussions with the Russian side. His office said Ukraine was prepared to observe a temporary suspension of airstrikes against cities involved in the negotiating process.
Trump has repeatedly pressed Moscow and Kyiv to reach an agreement, but the parties remain divided over territory, security guarantees and the conditions for ending hostilities.
Russia is demanding Ukrainian concessions over territory in eastern Ukraine. On the other hand, Kyiv has rejected any settlement imposed without its approval. Ukraine argues that it needs credible security guarantees to prevent another Russian attack.
The Kyiv discussions are expected to focus on the outcome of the envoys’ meeting with Putin, Ukraine’s conditions for negotiations and possible steps toward a broader ceasefire.
The latest initiative follows months of intermittent US-led diplomacy that has failed to produce a comprehensive agreement. Trump had pledged to end the war quickly, but negotiations have repeatedly stalled over incompatible Russian and Ukrainian demands.
(IANS)
