September 6, 2026 | 08:27 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner made their first official visit to Ukraine on Sunday as part of fresh efforts toward peace with Russia.
As Ukraine's airspace remains closed due to the conflict, the pair arrived in Kyiv by train from Poland, having spent more than three hours in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow a day earlier.
Putin had declared a three-day ceasefire to ensure the envoys' safety.
Zelenskyy: Ukraine's peace proposals are ready
Ahead of the visit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media that Kyiv is ready for a “constructive” discussion with its US counterparts.
“We are interested in bringing the end of the war closer," he wrote. "Peace is needed. Security guarantees are needed. A just and sustainable postwar peace is needed. Our proposals are prepared.”
Reuters news agency reported that national security advisors from the United Kingdom, France and Germany were also in Kyiv for talks with the US envoys, citing a source familiar with the matter.
Momentum by US President Donald Trump to end the four-and-a-half-year-old conflict has stalled in recent months after talks with Putin at the Kremlin in January failed to produce a result.
Ukraine's Budanov expects war to continue for many months
Despite hopes of a breakthrough with the Russian leader on Saturday, there were no announcements after the meeting.
Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov described the Moscow talks as constructive, frank, and useful but didn’t discuss specific outcomes.
Ushakov said the talks also focused on economic issues and potentially large Russia-US projects.
During previous talks, negotiators have struggled to bring both sides together on a range of key issues, including the future of the industrial Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
For Ukraine, hard security guarantees from its European allies and Washington are crucial to deterring Russia from further aggression.
Kyrylo Budanov, Zelenskyy's chief of staff, told the New York Times last weekend that he did not expect the fighting to end before spring 2027.
He also predicted further Russian strategic air strikes on Ukraine this winter.
The war has escalated in recent months, with Putin seeking the complete conquest of Dombas and Russian drones targeting the Ukrainian capital.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has focused its drone attacks on Russia's energy sector. It has also targeted online retailers deep inside Russia to try and bring the war home to the public.
Read: Russia Announces 72-Hour Pause in Strikes Amid Ukraine Talks
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
US Envoys Meet with Putin, Leave Russia for Kyiv
17 jam lalu
US' Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to try to revive talks to end the war in Ukraine.
US Envoys to Visit Russia, Ukraine with Plan 'To End War'
1 hari lalu
Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are set to travel to Russia and Ukraine to revive peace talks.
Trump's Iran Strategy: Could This Become a Forever War?
2 hari lalu
The US has launched fresh attacks on military targets in Iran. It wants to prevent Tehran rebuilding its destroyed capabilities,
Malaysia's Middle Path Between China and US Faces New Tests
3 hari lalu
The prime minister's comments on Taiwan and US-backed military sites near Sabah have revived questions over Malaysia's non-aligned foreign policy.
US House Rejects Bid to Limit Supreme Court to Nine Justices
3 hari lalu
US House rejects a Republican-backed bid to limit the Supreme Court to nine justices, amid a wider fight over the court's conservative majority.
Pete Hegseth Gains Upper Hand in Pentagon Power Struggle
4 hari lalu
Pete Hegseth gains the upper hand at the Pentagon after Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigns amid tensions over the military's future.
War and Sanctions Deepen Iran's Fuel Crisis
4 hari lalu
Long lines at fuel stations are spreading across Iran as war damage, import constraints and new US sanctions squeeze supplies.
Iran: US Launches Fresh Strikes as Hostilities Flare Again
4 hari lalu
The United States (US) launched fresh strikes on Iranian targets in and around the strategic waterway Strait of Hormuz.
US Irks Germany, Europe with Russian G20 Invite, Press Bans
5 hari lalu
Russia's finance minister is at the G20 meeting in Asheville but some key US press corps members are not.
Iran Says It Will Return to Ceasefire if US Does
5 hari lalu
On the sidelines of the SCO summit in Kyrgyzstan, Iran's president Pezeshkian called on the US to return to the terms of an interim ceasefire deal.
