Kushner and Witkoff in Kyiv: US Envoys Report Progress on Trilateral Talks, but No Guarantee of Winter Peace

US special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff concluded their first-ever visit to Kyiv on 6 September 2026, holding what both sides described as "substantive" discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The visit, which followed a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow the day before, marks a significant diplomatic gambit by the Trump administration to broker an end to the war.

President Zelenskyy confirmed that two rounds of talks have taken place, with a third round expected. In a video published from central Kyiv, Zelenskyy said: "It is very important that the delegation has arrived to see us. We have been waiting a long time for Steve and Jared." He thanked US President Donald Trump for allowing the envoys to travel despite the active conflict Source: Al Jazeera.

According to statements from both parties, the talks covered three specific areas: a winter package of support, territorial issues, and security guarantees Source: Ukrainska Pravda. Zelenskyy’s top security officials attended alongside several European national security advisers, whom the Ukrainian president said would participate in separate sessions with the US delegation.

Steve Witkoff, speaking after the meeting, described the discussions as "very meaningful" and said the US team was "very encouraged" by the progress made. Most notably, Witkoff reported that there has been progress on planning trilateral talks—a format that would bring together Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. He indicated that the envoys’ visits to Moscow and Kyiv had advanced this idea Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

Jared Kushner was more cautious about the timeline. According to a press briefing published by Ukrainska Pravda, Kushner stated that Trump is "firmly determined to end the war" but offered no guarantee that it would conclude by winter. "We want not just to figure out how we end the current war," Kushner said, "but how do we create the right conditions and arrangements for a long-term, durable peace" Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

The envoys arrived in Kyiv by train from Poland, their first visit to the country since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. While Witkoff and Kushner have visited Moscow eight times on previous mediation efforts, they had never before held talks in Kyiv, a fact that underscored the asymmetry of the Trump administration's earlier engagement.

Witkoff, speaking after the meeting, elaborated on the US objectives. He said the team aimed to move beyond the current impasse and establish a framework for sustained negotiations Source: Ukrainska Pravda.

The visit comes after a summer of heightened tensions along the front line, particularly in Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, where Russian forces have made incremental gains. Ukrainian officials have been pressing allies for more air defence systems and long-range strike capabilities ahead of the winter months, when energy infrastructure is again expected to come under attack.

The third round of talks, whose date has not yet been announced, is expected to involve higher-level officials from both sides. Whether Russia will accept a trilateral format or insist on bilateral negotiations with Washington remains an open question, as does the precise content of the territorial discussions.

The Kremlin has not yet publicly commented on the envoys' visit to Kyiv or on Witkoff's remarks about progress on trilateral talks.