The Straits Times World News
· collected 2026-09-06 · by The Straits Times
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.
US envoys have ‘more effective proposals’: Ukraine official
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envoys → have → proposals
Washington’s envoys have brought new, “more effective” proposals on ending the war with Russia to Kyiv and President Volodymyr Zelensky is meeting them again in a trio format, a senior Ukrainian presidential official told AFP on Sept 6.
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official → bring → Sept
Earlier on Sept 6, Zelensky had said the war with Russia looked likely to continue into winter.
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war → say → winter
While both he and the US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had given upbeat assessments of the talks, neither announced any breakthroughs on ending the conflict.
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neither → give → conflict
But the senior presidential official told AFP: “It’s not the same as it was before.
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it → tell → AFP
They’re still talking.
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They → talk → ?
Earlier on Sept 6, Witkoff and Zelensky had both given upbeat assessments of the talks, even if neither announced any breakthroughs on ending the conflict.
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neither → give → conflict
Witkoff, who is President Donald Trump’s business ally, and Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, travelled to Kyiv a day after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow – the latest of several visits to the city.
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who → travel → city
The visit to Kyiv on Sept 6 was their first to the Ukrainian capital, which has been enduring deadly Russian strikes for more than four years.
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which → endure → years
Zelensky said: “We very much hope that we will be able to reach agreements with our American partners, and we are counting on the support of our European partners if the war continues in winter – and this is how it appears at the moment.”
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it → say → moment
Zelensky also said Ukraine would hold talks with the US, France and Germany, but did not elaborate.
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Ukraine → say → US
The Ukrainian leader repeated his call that only a meeting between the two leaders could solve territorial issues.
uncertain
meeting → repeat → issues
Thanking the US envoys for their visit, Zelensky said on X: “The main thing is to achieve peace for Ukraine – a dignified, reliable, and lasting peace.
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thing → thank → Ukraine
“We are directing all our efforts toward this.”
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We → direct → this
‘On same side’
Moscow occupies large swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine and the Kremlin told the Americans on Sept 5 that it was feeling “confident” it would advance more.
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it → occupy → Sept
Moscow has said it wants not just the territories it occupies but the land it claims as Russian to be recognised as its own – terms unacceptable to Kyiv.
uncertain
it → say → Kyiv
Witkoff said both sides would need to compromise, adding: “We think we have the ingredients to get to that place.
“
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we → say → place
We’ve had a very meaningful discussion, substantive, important, and we are very encouraged, and we look forward to continuing this as long as it takes.”
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it → have → this
Kushner added: “Hopefully this trip has come out with some new ways to advance forward.
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trip → add → ways
I think we’ve learned a lot from the trip.”
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we → think → trip
Witkoff and Kushner travelled to the region hoping to revive the Trump administration’s push for peace in Europe’s worst conflict since World War II, after a summer of escalation.
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Witkoff → travel → escalation
British, French and German representatives attended a separate round of the talks.
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representatives → attend → talks
Zelensky said he was grateful the Europeans were there, adding: “Here we are all on the same side.”
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we → say → side
Like all visiting officials, the American delegation had arrived by train, with “Peace Express” written on the platform at Kyiv Central Station.
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delegation → visit → Station
Ukrainian airspace has been closed since Russia launched its invasion in 2022.
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Russia → close → 2022
Russia and Ukraine vowed not to strike each other’s capitals during the US envoys’ trip.
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Russia → vow → trip
‘Substantive plans’
Moscow’s invasion has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.
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invasion → kill → millions
A White House official said in a statement to AFP that in Moscow the envoys had “discussed substantive plans which will be announced in the coming weeks”.
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which → say → weeks
Without elaborating, the Kremlin said the Americans “put forward a number of ideas on possible routes to a settlement”.
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Americans → elaborate → settlement
Putin has repeatedly said Moscow intends to seize the rest of eastern Ukraine, and Russia increased deadly strikes this summer.
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Russia → say → strikes
Since Putin launched the invasion in February 2022, the war has dragged on with no end in sight.
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end → launch → sight
In Kyiv, few people appeared to believe in a breakthrough.
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people → appear → breakthrough
Nataliia Lipekh, 67, said it was “absolutely necessary (for them) to be here” and to see that “our land is already soaked with this blood and that we need some help”.
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we → say → help
“At the moment, I have no grounds for hope,” said 29-year-old Yaroslav, saying he had seen “far too many of these negotiation processes”.
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he → have → processes
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
Ukraine said on Sept 5 that 10 people were killed by Russian strikes, including an 11-year-old boy.
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people → say → boy
