US envoys arrive in Kyiv after talks with Putin in Moscow

The first visit to Kyiv by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff in their roles as US peace negotiators brought Washington’s renewed effort to end the war directly to Ukraine after talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

The two envoys met President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian officials in central Kyiv after spending three hours with Putin the previous day. The Moscow meeting produced no apparent breakthrough, although Putin called it “highly useful.” A White House official said the next steps would be announced in the coming weeks.

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Security guarantees are needed. A dignified post-war peace is needed. Our proposals have been drawn up.

The visit followed earlier rounds of US-mediated talks that produced few results. President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a promise to end the war quickly, said on Friday that the United States had a new proposal but gave no details. Zelensky has said Washington will be central to any peace agreement and that an opportunity exists before the United States turns its attention to the next presidential elections next summer.

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The issue can be solved in the blink of an eye. We want peace. I've fought myself, so I know what war is like. We need peace, because there's no other way.

Before the envoys arrived, Zelensky said he had met his negotiating team and that Ukraine wanted an end to the war. “Security guarantees are needed. A dignified post-war peace is needed. Our proposals have been drawn up,” he wrote on social media. A source familiar with the matter said the national security advisers of Britain, France and Germany were also in Kyiv, although the source did not say which meetings they would attend.

In Kyiv, some residents expressed cautious hope after weeks of heavy bombardment. Military veteran Stepan Yermak said, “The issue can be solved in the blink of an eye. We want peace. I've fought myself, so I know what war is like. We need peace, because there's no other way.” Svitlana Kurylenko, a 19-year-old cafe worker, said, “We need an agreement that will never be broken. Just leave Ukraine alone and let people live in peace.”

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We need an agreement that will never be broken. Just leave Ukraine alone and let people live in peace.

The core disputes remain unresolved. Russia wants Ukraine to withdraw from a belt of towns in Donbas that Russian forces still control, while Kyiv says it can hold its positions there for years. Ukraine also regards firm security guarantees from European allies and the United States as essential to deter another Russian invasion. Ground front lines have remained largely static, but both sides have intensified long-range air strikes in recent weeks.

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highly useful