Trump envoys Witkoff, Kushner make first Ukraine visit for peace talks

U.S. special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Ukraine to engage in peace talks aimed at ending the ongoing war, according to the Kyiv Independent. The duo was greeted by Ukraine's presidential chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov and other officials, including the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Rustem Umerov and the leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction David Arakhamia.

A photo from Kyiv's train station captured the moment the U.S. officials made their arrival. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had already welcomed Witkoff and Kushner prior to their visit.

Previously, on September 5, Witkoff and Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for more than three hours. The Kremlin claimed that the U.S. envoys presented Putin with their proposals for ending the war in Ukraine. However, Bloomberg reported that multiple visits to Moscow by the Trump special envoys have not yielded any results.

The Kremlin has reiterated its stance that it will not abandon its military objectives in Ukraine and is prepared to continue fighting under its current conditions. Kremlin sources indicated that Putin is only willing to end the conflict on his own terms, with growing demands as he believes his military can secure Donbas by the end of 2026.

On September 6, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Ukraine's negotiating team ahead of their scheduled meeting with the U.S. special envoys. Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine is open to dialogue and remains committed to finding a peaceful resolution. He stressed the need for security guarantees and a dignified postwar peace.