U.S. envoys hold talks with Zelensky on first Kyiv visit
U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff visited Kyiv to meet with President Zelensky regarding potential paths to end the Russia-Ukraine war. This follows their recent discussions with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, marking a high-level diplomatic effort to revive negotiations.
Why it matters
These meetings represent a significant shift in U.S. diplomatic engagement regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff held talks Sunday (September 6, 2026) with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on ending the war with Russia, making their first visit to Kyiv a day after meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin.
The envoys arrived in the Ukrainian capital by train, hoping to revive negotiations to end Europe's worst conflict since World War II, after a summer of escalation.
Mr. Zelensky published a video of meeting U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Kushner and business partner Mr. Witkoff in central Kyiv, saying: "Talks have begun."
Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner have visited Moscow eight times but had never held talks in Kyiv — hit by deadly strikes since Russia's February 2022 invasion — until now.
Ukraine's top security officials and negotiators were also present, along with several European national security advisors.
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