Putin Meets Trump Envoys As US Peace Push Moves From Moscow To Kyiv

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kyiv on Sunday and met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a day after holding more than three hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as Washington seeks to revive stalled efforts to end the Russia Ukraine war.

The Kyiv visit was the first by Witkoff and Kushner to Ukraine since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House. They travelled by train because Ukrainian airspace has remained closed to civilian flights since Russia’s full scale invasion in February 2022. Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready for a constructive conversation. Security advisers from Britain, France and Germany were also in Kyiv, adding a European dimension to the renewed diplomatic effort.

Before travelling to Kyiv, the envoys met Putin at the Kremlin. Putin told them the situation was “not simple” and asked them to convey his best wishes and gratitude to Trump. He also assured the Americans that Russia would do everything possible to protect the negotiation process and mediators. Witkoff thanked Putin for supporting a temporary halt in strikes on Kyiv and Moscow that helped facilitate their mission.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described the talks as extremely frank and useful, saying the US side presented several ideas for possible routes towards a settlement. The White House said the discussions covered substantive plans for next steps, expected to be announced in the coming weeks. However, no major breakthrough or agreement emerged.

Putin maintained that Russia was confident it could achieve its military objectives and insisted that the conflict’s “root causes” must be addressed. Moscow continues to seek control over Ukrainian territory it claims, including the remaining parts of the Donbas, and opposes Ukraine joining NATO. Kyiv rejects territorial concessions and is seeking firm security guarantees and a durable post war settlement.

Trump has said Witkoff and Kushner are carrying a proposal for peace, saying there is an “idea for peace”, but its details have not been publicly disclosed. The latest initiative follows months of stalled negotiations and comes as Washington has also been preoccupied with its conflict with Iran.

Moscow and Kyiv agreed to a limited three day pause on strikes against their capitals. Putin ordered Russian forces not to strike Kyiv, while Zelenskyy said Ukraine would refrain from attacks on Moscow through Monday. The arrangement does not amount to a broader ceasefire, and fighting continued elsewhere.

Russian attacks continued across Ukraine, including strikes involving missiles and drones. Zelenskyy linked strikes on Kyiv and Boryspil airports to preparations for the US delegation’s visit. Russia also recently struck Ukraine’s SBU security service headquarters in Kyiv. Ukraine, meanwhile, has continued targeting Russian infrastructure, including oil facilities, as it seeks to pressure Moscow.