Zelensky: Kyiv in ‘Daily Contact’ With Trump Team, Some Work Remains ‘Non-Public’

Ukraine is engaged in daily consultations with representatives of US President Donald Trump as Kyiv works to create conditions for what President Volodymyr Zelensky described as “real diplomacy.” “We are in contact with President Trump’s envoys every day, and that is important,” Zelensky said in his Tuesday evening address.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. He said his recent meeting with Trump in Washington focused on creating new circumstances that could make genuine negotiations possible, adding that Kyiv is now working to turn those discussions into action. Zelensky stressed that Ukraine remains ready to engage diplomatically despite Russia continuing its invasion and long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities. “We will be ready for meetings in any format,” he said. ‘We are counting on Witkoff and Kushner’ The Ukrainian president singled out Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as central to the next phase of US-led diplomacy. “We expect Witkoff and Kushner to be active now, in August,” he said. The two envoys are expected to make their first visit to Kyiv following Zelensky’s meeting with Trump at the White House last Tuesday, July 28. The prospective trip was discussed during that meeting and could take place within weeks, although final dates have not been publicly confirmed. Witkoff and Kushner have maintained regular contacts with Ukrainian officials but have yet to visit the Ukrainian capital, despite traveling repeatedly to Moscow during previous rounds of diplomacy. Other Topics of Interest New Law Grants Equal Military Rights to Ukraine’s Former Convict Soldiers The law also opens new grounds for ending contracts, including a legally binding conviction or a service member’s own request after captivity. Zelensky spoke with both envoys on July 22 about reinvigorating negotiations and bringing what he called a “peace with dignity” closer, stressing that Ukraine had long been ready for such an outcome. Ukraine works multiple negotiating tracks Zelensky said a core Ukrainian team – including Rustem Umerov, Davyd Arakhamiia, Sergiy Kyslytsya and Kyrylo Budanov – is handling different elements of the negotiating process. Their work includes identifying where talks can move forward while assessing Moscow’s attitude toward negotiations. Ukraine is also working with other international partners, particularly Gulf countries capable of supporting Kyiv’s diplomatic efforts and security needs. Zelensky said some of those discussions remain confidential. “For now, some of this work remains non-public, and not everything can be disclosed in detail,” he said. Kyiv has repeatedly made clear that it is prepared for meaningful diplomacy, while insisting that any settlement must deliver a durable peace rather than reward Russia’s invasion or leave Ukraine vulnerable to another attack. Sevinj Osmanqizi is an experienced journalist who writes extensively for Kyiv Post on foreign policy, international security and geopolitics. Based in Washington, D.C., her work focuses on Ukraine, Russia’s war and the broader post-Soviet space.