Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, envoys of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, have arrived this Sunday in Ukraine after a day of meetings in Moscow with Russian officials, marking their first visit to Ukrainian territory since the start of the war in February 2022.
In Kiev, Witkoff and Kushner met with the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, who emphasized that their presence in the Ukrainian capital "works better than the Patriots," referring to the three-day truce that has prevented attacks on both Kiev and Moscow coinciding with the stay of the American envoys.
"Today you have functioned even better than the Patriot systems for our citizens in the capital. Thank you. Come more often and our people will have the opportunity to live a little longer," Zelensky stated.
The head of the Ukrainian state also reiterated his commitment to a negotiated solution. "We are all here on the same side. We all want there to be no war, no suffering, no one to die, and for this war to end with a just peace, just for all of us," he pointed out. "And for the war to end in such a way that there is never a possibility of a repeat of Russian aggression against Ukraine," he added.
Zelensky announced that in the coming days meetings will be held between delegations from Ukraine, the United States, and several European countries to try to move towards peace, although it is still to be defined, for example, the location of the meeting. "I don't know where the meeting will be. In Europe, the United States, or perhaps again in Ukraine. We are open to any option," he indicated.
On the military front, the Ukrainian president emphasized that the production of Patriot anti-aircraft missiles will be increased at plants in the United States and Germany, insisting that these systems will remain essential even after the conflict ends. "We will continue to need them," he defended.
He also asked Washington to push for new sanctions against Russia, although he admitted that this issue "was not discussed today," given that Kushner and Witkoff's agenda focused on the resumption of talks.
Trump, peace, and economic opportunities
During his appearance, Kushner explained that his father-in-law and president, Donald Trump, wants "the deaths to end" and that they can take advantage of "business opportunities." "President Trump always says that the harder it is, the better. If it's worth it, you have to give everything you have, and that's why he is so determined to end this war and stop the deaths, to reunite families and that, hopefully, do what he likes most, which is to focus on investing in business opportunities so that countries come together and there is prosperity and opportunities for Ukrainians and Europeans," he stated.
Kushner believes that Ukraine "has the potential to become a great nation." "That's why President Trump would love that," he added to the media.
The U.S. envoy has assured that the visit on Saturday to Moscow allowed for "significant advances" and pointed to the possibility of a forthcoming trilateral meeting.
"I believe we have made significant progress in Moscow. We have heard new ideas," Witkoff indicated in turn. "You have heard President Zelensky talk about trilateral talks, and we hope they will be announced in the near future. There are many other compelling ideas that we discussed in Moscow that have been presented here in Kiev. We believe that cooperation is crucial," he added.
According to Zelensky, U.S. representatives have held two rounds of dialogue with the Ukrainian side, and in a third session, delegates from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany joined.
Arrival by train in the Ukrainian capital
Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Kiev by train, where they were received at the station by Kirilo Budanov, head of the Presidential Office, and by the head of the Intelligence services, Rustem Umerov, before starting a new round of contacts after their meetings in Russia, according to the Ukrainian agency UNIAN.
Moments earlier, President Zelensky had stated that Kiev "is interested in bringing the war" with Russia to an end. "We met with our negotiating team before the meeting with the envoys of the President of the United States. We are ready for dialogue," he noted.
Zelensky himself welcomed the envoys in the heart of Kiev, explaining to the press, while waiting for their arrival, that "the Russians did not allow the U.S. delegation to arrive by plane despite our airports being prepared."
For his part, the Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov has indicated that the U.S. delegation presented several proposals to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday to try to channel a solution to the conflict in Ukraine. "The U.S. representatives prepared thoroughly for this trip," he stated.
Witkoff and Kushner had landed on Saturday in Moscow aboard a U.S. military plane to present a proposal aimed at ending the war, as Trump had previously announced. After that stop, their agenda included meetings this Sunday in Kiev as part of this new diplomatic push to try to resolve a conflict that has been ongoing since February 2022, when Putin ordered the invasion.