US special envoy Steve Witkoff has expressed optimism about Washington’s renewed efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict following talks in both Moscow and Kiev, saying the Trump administration hopes to find a diplomatic solution.
Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner met Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky in Kiev on Sunday, a day after holding more than three hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. Sunday’s trip marked the US envoys’ first official visit to the Ukrainian capital as part of Washington’s peace efforts.
Witkoff said on Sunday that he “felt good” about the discussions in both capitals and that Washington hopes diplomacy can bring an end to the conflict. He also suggested that direct talks involving all three sides could take place soon, pointing to “a trilateral that we’re hopeful will be announced in short order.”
The latest diplomatic push began in Moscow on Saturday, where Putin received Witkoff and Kushner for talks lasting just over three hours. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov later described the meeting as “substantive, constructive, extremely candid, and trusting.”
According to Ushakov, the American envoys presented several ideas on possible paths toward a settlement, while Putin reiterated Moscow’s readiness to continue working with Washington to seek a political and diplomatic solution. The Russian leader also stressed that any lasting agreement would have to address what Moscow describes as the root causes of the conflict.
According to an Axios source familiar with the meetings, during the talks in Kiev on Sunday Zelensky discussed Ukrainian preparations for continuing the war through the winter, while Kushner and Witkoff stressed they want a breakthrough before then.
A White House official also told Axios the Moscow discussions were substantive, saying the two sides had discussed plans for the next steps that are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has earlier thanked Trump for his efforts to help resolve the conflict, saying the US president continued seeking a settlement despite the difficulty of the situation. Putin also reiterated Moscow’s commitment to refrain from strikes on Kiev during a three-day period beginning at midnight on September 5, intended to allow the US envoys to travel safely to the Ukrainian capital.