Kushner, Witkoff ‘Really Feel Good’ About Ukraine-Russia Peace Push After Zelensky Talks

President Donald Trump’s special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff expressed renewed optimism Sunday about efforts to end the Russia–Ukraine war after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

The meeting came one day after Kushner and Witkoff spent more than three hours in Moscow holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the Trump administration attempts to revive stalled negotiations.

“We came here, and I think we really feel good about what has happened in the conversations in Moscow and now the conversations here,” Witkoff said alongside Zelensky.

Sunday marked the first official visit to Ukraine by Kushner and Witkoff during the war. Witkoff has made multiple trips to Moscow over the past year and a half as part of the administration’s diplomatic efforts.

The American delegation traveled to Kyiv by train after Russia carried out strikes targeting the Kyiv and Boryspil international airports, according to Zelensky.

Russia and Ukraine agreed to a temporary three-day pause in strikes on each other’s capitals surrounding the American delegation’s diplomatic mission, although fighting continued elsewhere.

Kushner said Trump has instructed his negotiating team to focus on creating a framework capable of producing a lasting settlement rather than simply securing a temporary pause in fighting.

“What President Trump’s been very focused on is how do we create a framework that could actually lead to a durable peace,” Kushner said.

One possibility being considered is a return to trilateral negotiations involving representatives from the United States, Russia and Ukraine.

Kushner said the American delegation has already discussed reviving that format with both sides and expressed hope that progress could come soon.

The Trump administration previously brought Russian and Ukrainian representatives together for trilateral discussions, but those negotiations failed to resolve the central disputes dividing Moscow and Kyiv.

Neither Kushner nor Witkoff publicly disclosed the details of the latest American peace proposal.

Among the largest obstacles remains the future of Ukraine’s Donbas region.

Putin has demanded control over the entire Donbas, including territory Russian forces have been unable to capture since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.

Zelensky has rejected surrendering Ukrainian-controlled territory, arguing that the country’s constitution prevents him from simply handing land over to Russia.

Ukrainian officials also fear that giving Moscow territory it has failed to capture militarily could leave the country vulnerable if Russia later violates a peace agreement and launches another offensive.

Zelensky emphasized that any settlement must include meaningful security guarantees and described a “dignified” postwar peace as essential for Ukraine.

He also warned that the conflict currently appears likely to continue through the winter and pressed the American delegation for additional air-defense and energy assistance if fighting persists.

Despite the significant disagreements, Kushner defended the administration’s decision to continue pursuing negotiations.

“I think President Trump has a track record of doing impossible things,” Kushner said while acknowledging that there is no guarantee the latest diplomatic effort will succeed.

Trump has said his envoys are carrying a new proposal intended to end the war, although the administration has not publicly revealed its terms.

With Kushner and Witkoff now completing back-to-back meetings with Putin and Zelensky, the White House is hoping to restart direct negotiations and determine whether the two sides can finally find enough common ground to bring the yearslong war to an end.