US envoys hold ‘substantive’ talks with Zelenskyy in first visit to Kyiv

United States special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on ending Russia’s war against his country, marking their first visit to Kyiv since the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.

The meeting on Sunday came a day after the two met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

“It is very important that the delegation has arrived to see us. We have been waiting a long time for Steve and Jared, Witkoff and Kushner,” Zelenskyy said, thanking US President Donald Trump for “allowing them to come” despite the war.

After the meeting, Witkoff said the US team had been “very encouraged” by what he described as a “substantive, important” discussion.

On his part, Kushner said Trump wanted “not just to figure out how we end the current war, but how do we create the right conditions and arrangements for a long-term, durable peace”.

Earlier, Zelenskyy published a video of himself meeting Trump’s envoys in central Kyiv, saying, “Talks have begun.”

Ukraine’s top security officials and negotiators were also present, along with several European national security advisers. Zelenskyy said Europeans would participate in some of the talks with the US envoys.

“We are expecting one session of our talks, and then another session will be held with the European NSAs [national security advisers]. Several important sessions,” he said.