Kushner and Witkoff meet Zelenskyy in Kyiv as peace efforts intensify

US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Kyiv for a second day of talks on how to end the war in Ukraine, meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Sophia Square outside Saint Sophia Cathedral.

The visit followed three hours of discussions with Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, in Moscow. It is the first visit to Ukraine by the two envoys, though the details of any peace proposal remain unclear.

What the negotiations are addressing

The discussions between Russia and Ukraine have centred on a 20-point peace plan put forward by Washington and Kyiv in December. The sides have not reached common ground on several issues, including control of territory in eastern Ukraine. For additional context, see “Ukraine seeks halt to Russian air attacks during peace talks”.

A White House official said the Moscow talks covered “substantive plans for next steps” and that an announcement would follow in the coming weeks. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov called the meeting “extremely frank” and said there was recognition of the need to address what he described as the conflict’s root causes.

The security backdrop to the visit

Russia and Ukraine agreed not to strike each other’s capital cities for three days to help the negotiators travel. Ukraine’s airspace has been closed since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, so visiting dignitaries have travelled overland by train from neighbouring countries. A related part of this story is covered in “Putin holds Moscow talks on proposal to end Ukraine war”.

Kyiv and surrounding areas had faced daily drone attacks for more than a week before a temporary reprieve from strikes and air-raid alerts. Other parts of Ukraine continued to come under attack, with Ukrainian authorities reporting eight deaths and 69 injuries across the country in the previous day.

Ukraine is also facing a shortage of US-made Patriot interceptors. Recent Russian attacks have included jet-powered drones capable of reaching 250mph, while Russia and Ukraine have increased their use of long-range missiles. The development of this issue can be followed in “US envoys plan Kyiv and Moscow visits to revive negotiations”.