US peace envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv on Sunday as the Trump administration renewed its efforts to resolve Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, which has lasted over four and a half years.
The envoys traveled from Moscow, where they spent three hours in discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, though no major breakthrough was reported. Previous US-led peace negotiations, encouraged by President Donald Trump who had pledged to swiftly end the conflict, have produced limited progress. On Friday, Trump hinted at a new proposal but did not provide details.
Putin described the Saturday meeting as “highly useful,” while a White House official indicated that further steps would be announced in the coming weeks. Kushner and Witkoff met Zelenskiy and other senior Ukrainian officials in central Kyiv during their visit.
Zelenskiy, who sees Washington as a critical player in any peace agreement, has expressed that a window of opportunity exists before the US shifts focus to its presidential elections next summer. Ahead of the envoys’ arrival, Zelenskiy posted on social media that he had prepared with his negotiating team and emphasized Ukraine’s desire to end the war. He stressed the need for security guarantees and a dignified post-war peace, noting that Ukraine’s proposals had been formulated.
Notably, British, French, and German national security advisers were also present in Kyiv on Sunday, though their specific meetings were not disclosed.
On the streets of Kyiv, which has endured heavy bombardment in recent weeks, there was cautious optimism about the visit. Military veteran Stepan Yermak expressed hope, stating, “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.”
Previous negotiations have seen significant disagreements, particularly over the future of the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas. Russia demands Ukraine withdraw from a fortified zone of towns it controls there, but Kyiv refuses, confident it can maintain its hold for years. For Ukraine, strong security guarantees from European allies and the US are essential to prevent further Russian aggression. Nineteen-year-old café worker Svitlana Kurylenko said, “We need an agreement that will never be broken. Just leave Ukraine alone and let people live in peace.”
Meanwhile, although the front lines remain mostly static, both Russian and Ukrainian forces have escalated long-range air strikes recently. Russia has relentlessly targeted Kyiv with missiles and drones over the past two weeks, including a Friday attack on the headquarters of Ukraine’s SBU security service.
The Kremlin announced a temporary pause in strikes on Kyiv until Monday, with Zelenskiy stating that Ukraine would reciprocate by halting strikes on Moscow. Despite this, fighting continued unabated along the 1,200-kilometer front, with Russia bombing other Ukrainian cities on Saturday.
Throughout the summer, Ukraine has launched damaging attacks on Russian refineries, oil terminals, and warehouses of the online retailer Wildberries, aiming to increase the costs of the war for Moscow. On Sunday, Ukraine reported a strike on the Ryazan oil refinery, located about 480 kilometers inside Russia, which caused a fire overnight.
