Trump to Test Kyiv's 'New Ideas' in Calls with Putin and Zelenskyy as European Advisers Join Next Round

The first face-to-face meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and envoys sent by US President Donald Trump concluded in Kyiv on September 6, Ukrainska Pravda reported. Zelenskyy said the discussion produced "several new ideas" for negotiations, according to his comments carried by Ukrainska Pravda. The US delegation – including Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner – then left the capital, the outlet confirmed.

The readout from the Ukrainian side was deliberately vague. Zelenskyy did not specify what the new ideas were, but described the meeting as constructive. Attention now shifts to Washington and Moscow. Trump was scheduled to speak by phone with both Putin and Zelenskyy on Monday, September 7, according to the Kyiv Independent, as cited by Ukrainska Pravda. These calls were expected to test whether the ideas floated in Kyiv could be translated into concrete de-escalation steps. No official readouts had been published by the time of writing.

Zelenskyy has repeatedly argued that only Washington can exert enough pressure on the Kremlin to change its calculus. Speaking after the Kyiv talks, he said he believes the Trump administration can push Putin toward de-escalation. That faith is central to Ukraine's negotiating strategy, but it remains untested.

A second round of talks is expected, and this time European advisers are to be included. The exact date has not been announced, but the decision to bring Europe into the process addresses a long-standing Ukrainian demand that any framework for ending the war must not be decided bilaterally between Washington and Moscow. European Pravda reported that it had learned details of the Kyiv talks with Witkoff and Kushner, though those details have not been made public in full.

The inclusion of European advisers may also reflect concerns in Brussels and other European capitals that they were being sidelined in the early stages of the Trump administration's diplomatic push. Ukraine's European partners have provided billions in aid and host millions of refugees; their voice in peace negotiations is politically non-negotiable for Kyiv.

Meanwhile, the diplomatic calendar continues. On September 8, Zelenskyy and first lady Olena Zelenska arrived in Norway for the funeral of King Harald, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda. The trip, while solemn, also offers another opportunity for quiet conversations with allied leaders.

What matters strategically is that the format of negotiations is expanding. The first round in Kyiv was essentially bilateral between Ukraine and the Trump envoys. The second round, with European advisers, signals that a broader structure is emerging. The open question remains whether Putin – who has not yet publicly committed to any concessions – will engage seriously.

The coming days will show whether Trump's direct line to the Kremlin produces movement. The ideas from the first round in Kyiv are on the table; the next step is to see if Moscow is willing to respond.