US Envoys Witkoff and Kushner Arrive in Kyiv for First Visit

US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kyiv on Sunday, Sept. 6, marking their first visit to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The US delegation arrived by train at Kyiv’s central railway station for direct negotiations with Ukraine’s leadership.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. A senior Ukrainian delegation met the envoys upon arrival, including Head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Budanov, First Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Sergiy Kyslytsya, Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SZRU) Rustem Umerov, and “Servant of the People” parliamentary faction leader Davyd Arakhamia. “Welcome to Kyiv, representatives of the President of the United States Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner,” Umerov wrote in a statement. “We continue close coordination on further steps to end the war.” President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine had been preparing to welcome US President Donald Trump’s envoys at the airport. “Unfortunately, the Russians made it clear with their attacks that they [Kushner and Witkoff] cannot use the plane, even though we had everything ready. Our airports are operational,” Zelensky said in comments to reporters, according to TSN. He previously affirmed that Kyiv’s objective is to conduct a constructive and substantive dialogue with the US delegation, emphasizing that Ukraine remains focused on securing durable peace and robust security guarantees. Other Topics of Interest Ukrainian Dream: Thought Leaders on a Positive Vision for the Country Ukrainian artists, writers, scientists and psychologists share their visions of a peaceful, free and strong Ukraine – and the values that could shape its future. Subsequently, talks began in Kyiv with representatives of the US president, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Zelensky stated on Telegram. Strategy session and preceding Kremlin talks The arrival of the US envoys follows a preparatory strategy meeting convened by Zelensky earlier Sunday with members of Ukraine’s negotiating delegation to finalize Kyiv’s diplomatic positions. The Kyiv talks follow a three-hour-and-10-minute meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the US delegation at the Kremlin on Saturday evening, Sept. 5. Following those discussions, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov claimed that Witkoff and Kushner agreed to factor Putin’s battlefield assessments into their dialogue in Kyiv. Russian officials characterized the Moscow session – which also included an informal working dinner – as “meaningful,” “frank,” and conducted in an atmosphere of mutual trust, noting that potential large-scale US-Russian commercial projects were raised alongside conflict settlement concepts. The broader Washington delegation visiting the region included officials from the National Security Council, the State Department, and the Treasury Department. Gene Lange, acting head of the US Treasury’s sanctions division, traveled to Moscow and held a preparatory session with Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special representative for economic cooperation. While Lange did not attend the direct session with Putin, his presence underscored that sanctions policy formed part of the dialogue, despite recent assertions by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ruling out economic concessions without an end to the war. At the onset of the Moscow talks, Putin confirmed that Russian forces had paused aerial strikes on Kyiv starting at midnight on Sept. 5, but rejected Ukraine’s proposal for a wider three-day frontline ceasefire. In reciprocal coordination to safeguard the diplomatic process, Zelensky previously pledged that Ukrainian forces would refrain from striking Moscow through Monday as the US envoys conduct their meetings. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.