US Peace Envoys Hold Talks in Ukraine After Moscow Visit

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomes Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sept. 6, 2026. Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Ukraine on Sunday, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as the Trump administration continues efforts to negotiate an end to the war.

The U.S. talks with Ukraine are on the heels of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday that lasted for more than three hours and that Putin called “highly useful.”

Zelenskyy said Ukraine would suspend airstrikes and ensure the safe operation of Russian airspace during the U.S. delegation’s travel. He called on Russia to halt its strikes for the time needed to conduct the meetings and handle related logistics.

“We are looking out for them, not for Russia,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X on Friday.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine wants the meetings with the U.S. delegation to be constructive and focused on identifying realistic ways to end the war.

“We will see what proposals Steve and Jared bring and what they are told in Moscow in response,” he said.

Putin thanked President Donald Trump for continuing to pursue a settlement despite what he described as a difficult situation. He said the talks would address all components of the conflict before the U.S. envoys traveled to Kyiv.

Putin also said Russia had suspended strikes on Kyiv beginning at midnight Saturday after receiving a request through official diplomatic and intelligence channels. Ukraine had significantly reduced its attacks on Russian territory, he said.

Witkoff thanked Putin for supporting a three-day pause in strikes intended to protect the envoys during their visits to Moscow and Kyiv. Putin said Russia had not agreed to a broader three-day truce but would seek to ensure the safety of the negotiators and the diplomatic process.

There was no breakthrough announced, but Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov called the meeting constructive and said it covered both Ukraine and possible U.S.–Russian economic projects.

“Economic issues and potentially large, mutually beneficial joint projects for Russia and America were discussed in considerable detail,” Ushakov said.

Russia carried out six consecutive days of intensified attacks against Ukraine through Sept. 1, using swarms of drones, jet-powered drones, and ballistic missiles against Kyiv and nearby areas during the day and throughout the night.

Zelenskyy said the barrage killed 12 people, including seven at a Kyiv railway depot, and injured several others. Strikes also hit Odesa and other regions, damaging export infrastructure and a border crossing with Romania. Moscow said it targeted military and energy facilities used to store and supply weapons. Ukrainian officials responded by calling for more air defenses and sanctions targeting Russia’s missile production.

Russia’s war against Ukraine began in 2014, when Russia invaded and annexed Crimea and Russian-backed separatists seized territory in eastern Ukraine. Russia expanded the conflict into a full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. As of Sept. 6, the full-scale war has lasted more than four and a half years, while the conflict has continued for more than 12 years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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