The White House envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met on Sunday, October 6, in Kiev with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and representatives from Germany, France and the United Kingdom. This was the first visit by the two American negotiators to the Ukrainian capital, after they had been in Moscow on Saturday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the end of the meetings, Zelensky announced that Ukraine, Europe and the US will hold a new meeting, stating they agreed to hold a new meeting in the coming weeks.
Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, said the US will continue to work with European capitals and with Kiev to find ways to advance the peace process. The negotiator explained to the Ukrainians what Putin had told him the previous day, stating that the Russian leader is willing to continue dialogue and that he has certain goals and aspirations for his country that can be achieved when the conflict ends. Steve Witkoff called on Moscow and Kiev to make commitments and reduce their differences, saying they believe they have the necessary elements for a diplomatic resolution.
The talks also addressed the aid Ukraine may receive for the winter, including new air defense capabilities, antiballistic missiles, support for the energy system and a considerable volume of liquefied natural gas from the US. Zelensky also spoke about the security guarantees and economic viability the country may receive when peace is signed.
Despite the contacts made both in Moscow and in Kiev, no concrete agreement with Russia was announced after this round of negotiations. Kushner acknowledged that achieving peace is very difficult, but stated he is determined and concerned about the situation, hoping that this entire process will lead to a diplomatic resolution of the conflict that began in February 2022 with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
