Witkoff and Kushner arrive in Kyiv for talks

Whitcoff and Kushner have arrived in Kyiv

US Special Envoy Steve Whitcoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Kyiv for talks with the Ukrainian side. This is the first visit by American representatives to the Ukrainian capital. The day before, they held a three-hour meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Jared Kushner and Steve Whitcoff. Global Look Press

The American negotiators arrived in Ukraine after travelling via Rzeszów in Poland. Their visit was a continuation of Washington’s diplomatic contacts with Moscow and Kyiv regarding the resolution of the military conflict, reports the Kyiv Independent.

The day before, Whitcoff and Kushner met with Putin at the Kremlin. According to the Washington Post, the talks lasted around three hours. Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian president, described the talks as substantive, constructive and extremely frank. He said the parties had discussed possible ways of resolving the conflict, and the American representatives had set out a number of their views.

For Whitcoff and Kushner, the trip on 6 September marked their first visit to Ukraine as part of their current diplomatic mission. They are due to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a temporary halt to strikes on their respective capitals whilst diplomatic talks are ongoing. The Russian President has ordered a three-day ceasefire on strikes against Kyiv, starting on 6 September. Zelenskyy had previously stated that Ukraine was also prepared to refrain from strikes on Moscow. However, military operations are continuing in other regions, outside the two capitals. According to the AP, Russian and Ukrainian attacks have not ceased, despite the agreement on a pause.

What was discussed in Moscow

Moscow says it is prepared to discuss a settlement, but insists on the need to take into account Russian demands and what Putin calls the ‘root causes’ of the conflict.

Following the meeting with US representatives, the Kremlin did not announce that a specific agreement had been reached. The Russian side, however, described the talks as constructive.

Whitcoff and Kushner must now discuss the outcome of the Moscow meeting with Kyiv. The outcome of these talks will determine whether Washington succeeds in pushing forward a format for further negotiations agreed upon by both sides.