US envoys in Kyiv for first time as peace push intensifies

US peace envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv on Sunday, marking their first visit to the Ukrainian capital in their capacity as negotiators. The trip follows three hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday, which did not produce a visible breakthrough.

The envoys' visit comes as the Trump administration steps up efforts to end the war, now in its fourth-and-a-half year. President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a promise to quickly end the conflict, hinted on Friday at a fresh proposal but gave no details. Putin described the Moscow meeting as "highly useful," and a White House official said next steps would be announced in the coming weeks.

Zelenskiy, who sees Washington as central to any peace deal, said Ukraine has prepared proposals and stressed the need for security guarantees. "A dignified post-war peace is needed," he wrote on social media. He also noted a window for peace before the US turns its attention to the next presidential election cycle.

On the streets of Kyiv, residents expressed cautious optimism. Military veteran Stepan Yermak said, "We want peace... because there's no other way." Another resident, 19-year-old cafe worker Svitlana Kurylenko, said, "We need an agreement that will never be broken."

Key differences remain, particularly over the eastern Donbas region. Russia has demanded Ukraine withdraw from entrenched towns there, but Kyiv refuses, believing it can hold on for years. Ukraine insists on hard security guarantees from the US and European allies to deter future Russian aggression.

A source familiar with the matter said British, French, and German national security advisers were also in Kyiv on Sunday, though their meeting schedule was not specified.

Meanwhile, both sides have agreed to a temporary pause in strikes on each other's capitals — Moscow and Kyiv — until Monday. However, fighting along the 1,200-km front continues, and Russia bombarded other Ukrainian cities on Saturday. Ukraine said it struck the Ryazan oil refinery inside Russia overnight, causing a fire, part of its campaign to raise the cost of the war for Moscow.