New US Mediation Effort: Witkoff and Kushner Travel to Moscow and, for the First Time, Kyiv

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner secured one immediate result from their journey to Moscow and Kyiv: Russia and Ukraine agreed to stop attacking each other’s capitals from Saturday through Monday. For residents of Kyiv, the pause offered a rare break after eight days of successive Russian air attack waves that killed more than 50 people in Kyiv and the surrounding area since August 28.

Whether the American mission can achieve anything beyond that limited truce remains uncertain. US President Donald Trump confirmed the previously postponed trip and said the envoys had an “idea for peace” to discuss with both sides. The diplomatic prospects, however, remain slim.

“

idea for peace

Moscow was the envoys’ first stop on Saturday. They spent more than three hours with Russian President Vladimir Putin and had dinner with him afterward. Putin’s adviser Yuri Ushakov described the meeting as “substantive, constructive, exceptionally open and trusting”. He said the Americans presented a series of ideas for ending the war and also discussed economic issues of mutual interest.

“

substantive, constructive, exceptionally open and trusting

The presence of Gene Lange, who heads the sanctions division at the US Treasury Department, drew attention. Washington had not publicly commented on the meeting, but Reuters quoted a government official as describing the talks as “substantive”. The official said details would be released in the coming weeks.

The planned onward trip to Kyiv marked a long-awaited first. Neither Witkoff nor Kushner had visited Ukraine since Russia’s invasion four and a half years earlier. Their discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were part of the latest US effort to engage both sides directly.

“

substantive