US Envoys Witkoff and Kushner Arrive in Moscow to Revive Stalled Ukraine Peace Talks

And the silence wasn’t even because the fighting had stopped or an agreement had been reached, but simply because two American negotiators had arrived in Moscow to reignite talks and the two nations quietly agreed that missiles and diplomacy would not be suitable together. Now whether the negotiations result in fruition and if the quietness continues after five years of constant explosions remains to be seen as the negotiations continue.

Table of Contents

1. What Happened This Weekend

2. Why Talks Had Stalled for Eight Months

3. Inside the Moscow Meeting

4. The Temporary Truce Over the Capitals

5. The Kyiv Leg: A First for Witkoff and Kushner

6. What's Actually Standing in the Way

7. What Comes Next

8. Conclusion

What Happened This Weekend

US special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived for a three-hour meeting with the Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday, September 5, with the agenda of reviving Ukraine peace negotiations that had remained on pause for the past eight months. The special envoy then travelled to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the following day, September 6, also marking the first time a convoy has landed in the Ukrainian capital since the war began.

Having previously been endorsed personally by President Trump as "great negotiators" ahead of the trip, the pair has also received support from the President who told reporters at the White House on Friday that "they're bringing with them a proposal to end the war," and adding there "may be a good chance we will do it." The Kremlin on the other hand denied the possibility of “new ideas” being on the table while maintaining a more reserved tone about the process and negotiation aid, based on Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

Why Talks Had Stalled for Eight Months

This weekend's push comes after Washington's Ukraine diplomacy effectively lost momentum for the better part of a year, with US attention consumed largely by the separate war involving Iran. The last substantial Witkoff-Kushner engagement with Putin came in January 2026, and before that, a five-hour December 2025 meeting that Russian officials called "constructive" but one which failed to produce a breakthrough. And it remains to be seen whether this attempt becomes another attachment in the list of near misses of agreements over the region over the past few years.

Inside the Moscow Meeting

The Moscow meeting ran roughly three hours in closed-door talks at the Kremlin's Senate Palace. Putin opened by asking the envoys to pass along his "best wishes and words of gratitude" to Trump, and described the overall situation in Ukraine as "difficult" and "not simple." Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov later called the talks "useful," saying the American team had "prepared seriously for this trip" and expressed interest in ending hostilities as quickly as possible, offering what he described as a substantive proposal. Putin, according to Ushakov, "confirmed his intention to continue working jointly with the Americans to seek political and diplomatic solutions," and the envoys reportedly agreed to carry Putin's own observations and assessments directly into their meeting with Zelenskyy the following day. A White House official said afterward that both sides "discussed substantive plans for next steps, which will be announced in the coming weeks."

The Temporary Truce Over the Capitals

In a notable gesture and respect towards the attempt of achieving peace at least during the US envoy’s visit, Putin ordered a pause on strikes against Kyiv beginning at midnight Saturday. Similarly, Zelenskyy separately agreed Ukraine would refrain from striking Moscow through Monday. "From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow, and we expect the Russians to do the same regarding Kyiv," Zelenskyy said. And while many would rejoice considering this as a positive sign, it’s important to note that this silence was limited to the land of Kyiv with the US officials. The rest of Ukraine continued to remain in a state of war as strikes elsewhere in Ukraine continued. Additionally, as part of what’s being described as a strategic move, a Russian drone had also reportedly struck the headquarters of Ukraine's SBU security service in central Kyiv, a day prior to the envoy’s arrival.

The Kyiv Leg: A First for Witkoff and Kushner

Sunday's meeting with Zelenskyy in Kyiv was quick to grab attention as it became the first time a convoy has entered the Ukrainian land of Kyiv, especially with Ukrainian airspace having remained close with restrictions over travel and airspace of the region. And while the attacks have halted at the moment, Zelenskyy has been reported to attach the recent Russian Strikes on airports as being attached to impacting his nation’s reception of the American delegation.

Zelenskyy has said he's ready for a substantive conversation, but his stated red lines remain unchanged: no ceding of Ukrainian territory, and no abandoning Ukraine's NATO ambitions, regardless of the pressure Washington may apply. The envoys are expected to relay Putin's assessments directly to Zelenskyy and lay out what the White House is calling a concrete proposal, though further details have been promised only "in the coming weeks" rather than immediately.

What's Actually Standing in the Way

While the weekend’s meetings have hinted towards a positive, warmer tone, the areas of disagreement that have previously stalled other attempts of talks continue to remain in conflict. Putin has continued to demand that Ukraine cede control of the entire Donbas region, despite roughly 14% of it still being held by Ukrainian forces. The Russian President has also demanded that Ukraine abandons its NATO membership ambitions, and significantly reduces the size of its military. Kyiv has rejected all three conditions outright, and reporting from this specific visit suggests Russia's core demands remain unchanged even after the Kremlin's cordial reception of the envoys.

What Comes Next

As things stand, Kyiv and Moscow are under an informal temporary truce, one that’s built more on the foundation of safety of the US officials instead of their willingness to work towards a deal. And while no ceasefire, agreement or timeline has been established so far, the White House continues to promise “substantive plans for the next steps” to be revealed in the coming weeks. And while Ukrainian President Zelenskyy announces plan to meet Trump directly in case talks materialize into meaningful results, the areas of disagreement being control of territory, NATO membership, and military limits continue to remain in conflicting stances between the two warring nations.

Conclusion

Headlines around the world will continue to focus on the Kremlin's warm welcome, the three-hour meeting with the Russian President and the momentary pause over the strikes across the two capital nations, but the true momentum and outcome of Witkoff and Kushner’s negotiations will only reveal itself in the days that follow. While the US President reiterates his stance of finding a mutual path of benefit, the Russian demands remain stagnant, unaccepting of any changes while maintaining what kept this war ongoing for the past few years. And while Zelenshkyy’s own words convey his willingness to engage in substantive conversations, it depends on whether Russia is willing to extend hands and negotiate or remains determined until Ukraine bends to its demands is yet to unravel in the coming week.