US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held peace talks in Kyiv on Sunday alongside European security advisers, as fresh Russian strikes cast doubt over an understanding to pause attacks during their visit.
The meeting followed more than three hours of discussions between the two American representatives and Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday, in the latest attempt by Donald Trump’s administration to revive negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. ([axios.com](https://www.axios.com/2026/09/05/putin-witkoff-kushner-trump-ukraine-war?utm_source=openai))
Witkoff and Mr Kushner travelled to the Ukrainian capital for their first official visit to Ukraine as part of the current peace effort. They were expected to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with security advisers from Britain, France and Germany also involved in the discussions. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/44bba3b57b480560d9f48dba7d28534e?utm_source=openai))
The talks took place against a backdrop of renewed Russian aerial attacks on Kyiv and the surrounding region. Ukraine had said it would not carry out air strikes during the American delegation’s visit and called on Moscow to observe the same pause. ([president.gov.ua](https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/stiv-vitkoff-ta-dzhared-kushner-vidvidayut-moskvu-i-v-nedily-106257?gsid=06624775-ef52-4d43-9b14-540477008094&utm_source=openai))
The Kremlin had said Mr Putin ordered a temporary halt to strikes on Kyiv, but reports of continuing attacks underscored the fragile nature of the diplomatic initiative. No detailed agreement emerged from the Moscow meeting, although Russian officials described the discussions as constructive and substantive. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/05/steve-witkoff-jared-kushner-russia-revive-ukraine-talks?utm_source=openai))
Security guarantees for Ukraine are expected to be among the central issues in Kyiv, alongside efforts to establish whether Russia and Ukraine can return to direct negotiations after months of stalled diplomacy.
