Ukraine War: What Did Kushner and Witkoff Achieve, and What Does Putin Say?

The meetings produced no breakthrough, but the fact that U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys traveled to both Moscow and Kyiv has stirred cautious optimism. Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were presented as carrying a new diplomatic push after Trump said they had a plan “to end the war.”

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We are comfortable cooperating with them.

The envoys first met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, where they have already visited several times since the war began. The Kremlin said the discussion lasted more than three hours and was “very useful.” Putin said the two negotiators had gained the Russian side’s trust. “We are comfortable cooperating with them,” he said.

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Both sides must make compromises and narrow their differences.

After talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Kushner and Witkoff left the Ukrainian capital by train through Poland. People close to the Ukrainian presidency said the two presented new and “more effective” proposals for ending Russia’s war. Witkoff called for concessions from both sides, saying, “Both sides must make compromises and narrow their differences.”

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We believe we have the elements needed for a compromise.

He also said the U.S. team believed it had the elements needed for a compromise and described the discussion as “very significant, substantive and important.” Kushner said he hoped the trip had opened new ways forward and that the delegation had learned a great deal. The Kremlin said it did not rule out renewed peace talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States, or a phone call between Putin and Trump, but Peskov said it was still too early to discuss when or where such talks might take place.

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We hope this trip has opened new ways for progress. I think we learned a great deal during this visit.