Washington hopes to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict, Steve Witkoff said after talks in Moscow and Kiev
Published 6 Sep, 2026 16:42
| Updated 6 Sep, 2026 16:58
US special envoy Steve Witkoff has expressed optimism about Washington’s renewed efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict following talks in both Moscow and Kiev, saying the Trump administration hopes to find a diplomatic solution.
Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner met Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky in Kiev on Sunday, a day after holding more than three hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. Sunday’s trip marked the US envoys’ first official visit to the Ukrainian capital as part of Washington’s peace efforts.
Witkoff said on Sunday that he “felt good” about the discussions in both capitals and that Washington hopes diplomacy can bring an end to the conflict, now in its fifth year.
The latest diplomatic push began in Moscow on Saturday, where Putin received Witkoff and Kushner for talks lasting just over three hours. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov later described the meeting as “substantive, constructive, extremely candid, and trusting.”
According to Ushakov, the American envoys presented several ideas on possible paths toward a settlement, while Putin reiterated Moscow’s readiness to continue working with Washington to seek a political and diplomatic solution. The Russian leader also stressed that any lasting agreement would have to address what Moscow describes as the root causes of the conflict.
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