U.S. Envoys Kushner and Witkoff Meet with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Following Talks with Putin

<p>U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kyiv on Sunday for discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a day after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as part of efforts to end the ongoing conflict between the two countries.</p><p>Zelenskyy stated on Sunday morning that he had convened his negotiating team in preparation for the Americans' arrival and that Kyiv was ready for the discussions.</p><p>"Ukraine has always been and will remain constructive," Zelenskyy wrote on X. "We are interested in bringing the end of the war closer. Peace is needed. Security guarantees are needed. A dignified character of the postwar peace is needed."</p><p>He added, "Our proposals are ready. It is important to work in a coordinated, substantive, and realistic manner."</p><p>Witkoff and Kushner met with Putin for over three hours behind closed doors on Saturday, although the talks concluded without any announced breakthroughs.</p><p>Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov characterized the meeting as "constructive, frank and useful," but did not disclose specific outcomes.</p><p>A White House official indicated that the two sides discussed "substantive plans for next steps," which are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. The official also mentioned that the U.S. delegation looked forward to "equally productive meetings" in Ukraine.</p><p>The Kyiv meeting occurs as Washington aims to revive efforts to achieve a settlement in a conflict that began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. These efforts had lost momentum over the past six months as U.S. focus shifted to the situation with Iran.</p><p>Significant differences persist between Moscow and Kyiv, particularly regarding territorial issues. Kyiv has rejected Russia’s demand for Ukraine to withdraw from parts of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions that remain under Ukrainian control.</p><p>Ushakov stated that Moscow provided the U.S. delegation with its "comprehensive assessment" of the battlefield during Saturday's meeting, though discussions extended beyond military matters.</p><p>"Economic issues and potentially large, mutually beneficial joint projects for Russia and America were discussed in considerable detail," Ushakov noted.</p><p>President Donald Trump mentioned on Friday that he sent Witkoff and Kushner to assess whether progress toward a peace agreement could be achieved. "We have an idea for peace. I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, two great negotiators," Trump told reporters. "They've done a great job, and we sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done. And there may be a good chance that we'll do it."</p><p>The diplomatic efforts come as Russia and Ukraine continue to engage in drone and missile strikes. Both sides reported attacks overnight into Sunday despite having agreed to pause strikes on each other's capitals during the negotiations.</p><p>Fox News Digital’s Robert McGreevy and The Associated Press contributed to this report.</p>