Kushner Hopes to Announce Next Steps in Ukraine War Talks Within Two Weeks

The two US envoys met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their first visit to Ukraine.

Speaking via video link at the Yalta European Strategy forum in Kyiv, Kushner said, "I really hope that in the next two weeks we will be able to announce what the next steps are," adding that this could "help pave the way forward."

He noted that there is a "commitment" from Putin to "find a way forward," which elicited laughter from the attendees at the forum.

Kushner described communication with both sides as "very constructive and very positive," but acknowledged that "these are very complex issues," pointing out that work is ongoing to make progress.

Witkoff and Kushner had previously spoken about making progress in the talks without announcing a breakthrough, while floating the possibility of tripartite talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States.

Responding to a question about whether he would return to Kyiv with Witkoff, Kushner said, "We will return when there is something to talk about and when the need arises."

He described his visit to Ukraine as "very special," praising the country's resilience and noting that its achievements "have come at a heavy price."

Kushner also praised the three-day ceasefire announced in tandem with the talks, saying Washington hopes to turn it into a "much longer-term and much more durable" cessation of hostilities.

Putin had announced a three-day halt to strikes on Kyiv, while Zelenskyy announced a halt to attacks targeting Moscow, though hostilities continued in other regions of Ukraine and Russia.

Last year saw several rounds of negotiations that yielded little more than prisoner exchanges, while the positions of Moscow and Kyiv remained unchanged, with the Kremlin continuing to emphasize its determination to seize the remaining Ukrainian territories.