US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner expressed strong optimism after key peace talks in Kiev with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The discussions concluded on Sunday evening, marking the historic first visit by US envoys to the Ukrainian capital since the start of the Trump administration.
„Extremely Encouraged“: Witkoff and Kushner's Initial Reactions
After the meeting in Kiev, Steve Witkoff described the talks as „substantive“ and “important“.
“We are extremely encouraged by what we have achieved today“, he told reporters, quoted in a report by NBC News (nbcnews.com).
Jared Kushner added that President Donald Trump is “firmly determined to end this war“ and that the United States will do whatever is necessary to move the peace process forward. The two envoys arrived in Ukraine by train from Poland, just a day after holding three-hour talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
According to information from the Reuters news agency (reuters.com), the talks in Kiev quickly moved into a second, expanded format, which also included the national security advisers of the United Kingdom, France and Germany. The main focus was on winter support for Ukraine, economic guarantees and the supply of air defense systems Patriot.
First reactions in the US and the White House
A White House official confirmed to American media that the focus of the diplomatic shuttle is “concrete plans for the next steps“ towards ending the conflict. Washington is preparing to finalize security protocols, with details of the new American peace proposal expected to be officially presented in the next few weeks.
According to Fox News analyses, the first reactions in US political circles are mixed – while Trump supporters see the actions of Witkoff and Kushner as a real chance for a quick ceasefire, opposition critics express concerns about the lack of transparency around the territorial concessions that Moscow continues to demand in Donbas.
Zelensky himself noted that progress has been made on the formats and terms of negotiations, but admitted that unresolved territorial issues will require direct talks with Donald Trump.