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· collected 2026-09-06 · by AFP
U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on September 6, 2026, to discuss ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian Railways post, Witkoff and Kushner's train arrived in Kyiv to deliver "new, more effective" proposals from Washington. The two sides have agreed to continue talks on September 7, 2026, with both Russia and Ukraine vowing not to strike each other's capitals for three days around the Americans' visit. This is Witkoff and Kushner's first meeting with Zelenskyy in Kyiv, having previously met with Russian President Vladimir Putin multiple times.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Here's a summary of the news story based on the article excerpts:
Donald Trump sends special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Russia and Ukraine to negotiate a peace deal. The two men, who have been leading US efforts to broker a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, will visit Moscow on Saturday and then head to Kyiv, Ukraine's capital city, on Sunday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump has suggested that the US has a new proposal aimed at ending the war, which is now in its fifth year, but did not elaborate on what it entails.
Zelensky confirms he will meet with Witkoff and Kushner, saying that they "are bringing with them a proposal to end the war." The Ukrainian president also guaranteed the safety of Russian airspace during their visit. In a related development, Trump has been critical of Europe for not paying its share of military aid to Ukraine, suggesting that European nations should repay the US for past assistance.
The news comes as tensions between Russia and Ukraine remain high, with both sides accusing each other of violating a ceasefire agreement. The fate of the peace talks is uncertain, but the fact that Trump has sent his top envoys to the region suggests that he is serious about finding a solution to the conflict.
Written for “Trump's Peace Efforts in Ukraine” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 66 other(s) covering the same event.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s two envoys have left Kyiv after talks with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the country’s rail service operator said on Monday (September 7, 2026).
asserted
operator → leave → Monday
“We sent off Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s special train,” Ukrainian Railways said in a post on Telegram.
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Railways → send → Telegram
Washington’s envoys have brought new, “more effective” proposals on ending the war with Russia to Kyiv, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting them again in a trio format, a senior Ukrainian presidential official told AFP on Sunday (September 6, 2026).
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official → bring → Sunday
U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff held talks Sunday (September 6, 2026) with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on ending the war with Russia, making their first visit to Kyiv a day after meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin.
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envoys → hold → Putin
The envoys arrived in the Ukrainian capital by train, hoping to revive negotiations to end Europe's worst conflict since World War II, after a summer of escalation.
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envoys → arrive → escalation
Mr. Zelenskyy published a video of meeting U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Kushner and business partner Mr. Witkoff in central Kyiv, saying: "Talks have begun."
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Talks → publish → Kyiv
Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner have visited Moscow eight times but had never held talks in Kyiv — hit by deadly strikes since Russia's February 2022 invasion — until now.
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Witkoff → visit → invasion
Mr. Zelenskyy showed the U.S. envoys Kyiv's historic Saint Sophia's Cathedral, opposite the SBU security building, hit by a Russian drone Friday (September 4).
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Cathedral → show → drone
Moscow's invasion of Ukraine has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.
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invasion → kill → millions
Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner met with Mr. Putin on Saturday (September 5) to "advance President Trump's agenda of peace in the Russia-Ukraine War", a White House official said in a statement to AFP.
"
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official → meet → AFP
The two sides discussed substantive plans for next steps, which will be announced in the coming weeks, and look forward to equally productive meetings tomorrow in Ukraine."
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which → discuss → Ukraine
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov called the talks "extremely frank", saying the Americans "put forward a number of ideas on possible routes to a settlement", but did not elaborate.
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Americans → call → settlement
The Russian side told the Americans that Moscow was "confident" it could achieve its military goals of seizing the rest of eastern Ukraine, Ushakov added.
uncertain
Ushakov → tell → Ukraine
Both Russia and Ukraine have vowed not to strike each other's capitals for three days around the Americans' visit.
asserted
Russia → vow → visit
Mr. Zelenskyy on Sunday (September 6) said Ukraine was "ready for the conversation".
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Ukraine → say → conversation
"Ukraine has always been and will remain constructive," the wartime leader said on social media ahead of their visit.
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leader → remain → visit
The country's airspace has been closed since Moscow launched the war, and visiting leaders have been arriving by train.
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leaders → close → train
For many Ukrainians, hopes of a breakthrough remain slim.
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hopes → remain → breakthrough
"At this point, it doesn't give me any hope.
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it → give → hope
There have already been too many negotiations," Yaroslav, a 29-year-old Kyiv resident, told AFP.
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Yaroslav → tell → AFP
Putin thanks Trump
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Putin → thank → Trump
In televised comments before the talks, Mr. Putin said Russia would ensure the safety of the envoys in Kyiv.
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Russia → televise → Kyiv
"We will do everything that depends on us to ensure the safety of the negotiation process and mediators such as yourselves," Mr. Putin told Mr. Witkoff and Kushner.
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Putin → do → Witkoff
Earlier Saturday (Septemeber 5), Mr. Putin had thanked Mr. Trump for persisting in his efforts to end the war despite it being "not simple".
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it → thank → war
Of the envoys' trip to Kyiv, he said: "No matter what happens next, contacts of this kind are undoubtedly always beneficial."
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contacts → say → kind
Mr. Trump said on Friday (September 4) his envoys were bringing a "proposal" to end the fighting.
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envoys → say → fighting
"We have an idea for peace," he said, without elaborating.
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he → have → peace
U.S. efforts have so far not led to a breakthrough in the war, and peace efforts have stalled, in part because of Washington's war with Iran.
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efforts → lead → Iran
Russia has occupied large swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, and Mr. Putin has insisted Moscow is intent on seizing the rest of eastern Ukraine.
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Moscow → occupy → Ukraine
Despite the ceasefire pledges for the capital cities, fighting continued elsewhere.
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fighting → continue → cities
Ukraine's air force said Russia had attacked overnight with 108 drones and missiles, while Moscow said it had shot down 258 drones.
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it → say → drones
On Saturday (September 5), Mr. Putin said he had "noted that the Ukrainian side significantly reduced" its strikes on Russia and Moscow.
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side → say → Russia
However, Kyiv said that Russian strikes had killed 10 people across the country on Saturday — including a child and his family members in the Kharkiv region and two people outside Kyiv.
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strikes → say → Kyiv
