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🇹🇷 Turkey /Conflict & Security

US envoys visit Kyiv in bid to revive Ukraine-Russia peace talks

From Daily Sabah · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv after holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin the previous day.
  • The meetings focused on advancing U.S. President Donald Trump’s effort to end the war, although previous peace efforts have not produced a breakthrough.
  • Russia said it remained confident it could achieve its military goals in eastern Ukraine, while Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready for talks.

U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Kyiv by train on Sunday to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, one day after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Talks have begun.

· Volodymyr ZelenskyyZelenskyy used the statement in a social media post accompanying a video of his meeting with the U.S. envoys in Kyiv.

Zelenskyy posted a video of the meeting and said, “Talks have begun.” Ukraine’s top security officials and negotiators, along with several European national security advisers, also attended. The Americans visited Kyiv after traveling to Moscow eight times without holding talks in the Ukrainian capital.

During the visit, Zelenskyy showed the envoys Kyiv’s historic Saint Sophia’s Cathedral. The cathedral stands opposite the SBU security building, which a Russian drone struck on Friday. Ukraine’s airspace has remained closed since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022, so visiting leaders have been arriving by train.

The two sides discussed substantive plans for next steps, which will be announced in the coming weeks, and look forward to equally productive meetings tomorrow in Ukraine.

· White House officialThe official described the purpose and expected follow-up to the envoys’ meeting with Putin.

The meetings followed Saturday’s talks with Putin, which White House officials said aimed to advance Trump’s peace agenda. A White House official said the sides discussed substantive plans for next steps, which would be announced in the coming weeks. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described the discussion as “extremely frank” and said the Americans offered ideas about possible routes to a settlement. He gave no further details.

Extremely frank

· Yuri UshakovThe Kremlin aide used the phrase to characterize the talks between Putin and the U.S. envoys.

Ushakov also said Russia remained confident it could seize the rest of eastern Ukraine and achieve its military goals. Russia and Ukraine had agreed not to strike each other’s capitals for three days during the envoys’ visit. Putin said Russia would ensure the safety of the negotiation process and the mediators, while Zelenskyy said Ukraine had always been constructive and was ready for the conversation. Trump has said his envoys carried a proposal and that Washington had an idea for peace, but earlier U.S. efforts have stalled without producing a breakthrough.

We will do everything that depends on us to ensure the safety of the negotiation process and mediators such as yourselves.

· Vladimir PutinPutin told Witkoff and Kushner that Russia would protect the negotiation process and the mediators during their Kyiv visit.
About this summary

Originally published by Daily Sabah in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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