US President Donald Trump's special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, have arrived in Kiev, a day after holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, as part of efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
According to the White House, Uitkoff and Kushner discussed with Putin “concrete plans for the next steps.” The meeting in the Kremlin lasted about three hours and was held behind closed doors. Details of the plan discussed have not yet been made public, while a possible announcement is expected in the coming weeks.
This is the first visit by the Trump administration's two top negotiators to the Ukrainian capital. Upon their arrival, talks are expected to focus on the possibilities for a peace deal, as well as security guarantees for Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that he and his team are “ready for talks” and that they intend to contribute to accelerating the end of the war. Zelensky also stressed the importance of security guarantees and a coordinated, concrete and realistic process.
On the Russian side, Putin's adviser, Yuri Ushakov, described the talks in Moscow as constructive and extremely frank. According to him, the discussions were not limited to resolving the conflict in Ukraine, but also included economic issues and possible Russian-American projects.
However, as diplomacy intensifies, fighting continues. Ukraine confirmed that it had struck an oil refinery in Ryazan, an airport in Rostov-on-Don and two Russian air defense systems overnight.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia had attacked Ukraine with 108 long-range drones and small cruise missiles. Ukrainian air defenses said they had shot down 82 drones and six missiles, while the attacks hit 11 areas.
Uitkoff and Kushner's visit to Kiev comes as Russia and Ukraine have stepped up airstrikes. Ukraine has warned it is facing difficulties intercepting ballistic missiles due to a lack of air defenses, while Kiev has stepped up attacks on Russian economic infrastructure, particularly oil facilities.
Putin and Zelensky have also agreed to a three-day halt to attacks on their respective capitals, while the Trump administration's diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement to end the war appear to have intensified.
