After completing their visit to Kyiv, a special train carrying U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner departed the Ukrainian capital. Three rounds of talks were held during the day, with the sides discussing the resumption of the negotiation process, the territorial issue, security guarantees, Ukraine’s economic future and possible support for the winter period.
This was reported by “Ukrzaliznytsia” and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“We sent off the special train carrying Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. We thanked them for the visit and conveyed wishes from all of us for them to return soon and expand the geography of their travels — so that quiet weekends can be enjoyed in other cities as well,” Ukrzaliznytsia said.
Three rounds of talks with the U.S. side took place in Kyiv on September 6. Particular attention was paid to possible challenges during the winter period and support for Ukraine if the war continues.
“If the war continues through the winter, we are counting very much on a winter package, which I discussed in detail today with Steve, Jared and our European partners. We are counting on support for air defense and the energy sector, on a substantial volume and the possibility of using American LNG,” Zelenskyy said.
According to the president, Witkoff and Kushner effectively restarted the negotiation process. Before the meetings in Kyiv, the U.S. team held talks with the Russian leadership, after which contacts took place with the Ukrainian side. A trilateral meeting involving European partners and a meeting of national security advisers were also held.
“We may like certain formats of negotiations or not, but it is worse when there are no formats at all. I want to emphasize here the role of Steve and Jared, who today restarted the negotiation process,” Zelenskyy said.
The president named the territorial issue among the unresolved matters. In his view, such issues can only be resolved at the level of leaders.
The talks also covered security guarantees, Ukraine’s future and a “prosperity plan” that provides not only for security guarantees, but also economic guarantees, recovery and reconstruction of the country. Zelenskyy stressed that the Ukrainian army must remain strong as one of the main security guarantees.
European representatives joined the third part of the talks. According to Zelenskyy, the sides agreed that Ukraine, Europe and the United States would meet in the near future.
The president also said Ukraine is interested in holding trilateral meetings involving the U.S. and Russian sides, but that the future format will depend on what Russia agrees to.
