> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.theglobalvoice.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Trump Envoys Fail to Secure Ukraine Breakthrough After Moscow and Kyiv Talks - URL: https://www.theglobalvoice.com/trump-envoys-fail-to-secure-ukraine-breakthrough-after-moscow-and-kyiv-talks/ - Published: 2026-09-07T06:45:08.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-07T06:45:08.000Z - Author: TGV Desk - Tags: conflict, Diplomacy, geopolitics, Live Wire US President Donald Trump's envoys have failed to secure a breakthrough in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war after holding consecutive talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner met Zelensky on Sunday after more than three hours of talks with Putin at the Kremlin a day earlier. The diplomatic mission was intended to revive Trump's stalled effort to negotiate an end to a war that has now lasted more than four and a half years. Both Moscow and Kyiv described their respective discussions with the Americans in positive terms, but neither meeting produced an agreement on the central issues dividing the two sides. Zelensky acknowledged after the talks that Ukraine was preparing for the possibility that fighting would continue through the winter. “If the war continues and we expect the war will continue we are counting heavily on the winter aid package,” he said, referring to additional air defence systems and support for Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Witkoff nevertheless described the Kyiv discussions as “very meaningful” and said Washington remained encouraged about the possibility of reaching a settlement. “We think we have the ingredients to get to that place,” he said, while acknowledging that both Russia and Ukraine would have to make compromises. The envoys arrived in Kyiv carrying what Witkoff described as “new ideas” following their meeting with Putin. Sunday's visit was also the first time Witkoff and Kushner had travelled to the Ukrainian capital in their roles as Trump's peace negotiators. European officials were involved in the discussions as well, with national security advisers from Britain, France and Germany present in Kyiv. The talks covered territorial issues, security guarantees, air defence and potential economic arrangements following an eventual peace agreement. But the fundamental divide remains unchanged. Russia continues to demand that Ukraine withdraw from territory in the Donbas that Moscow claims but has been unable to capture militarily. The Kremlin has also maintained its demand that Ukraine abandon its ambition to join NATO. Kyiv has rejected surrendering territory that its forces continue to control and is seeking binding security guarantees from the United States and European countries to deter another Russian attack after any settlement. The Kremlin offered little indication that Putin had softened his position during Saturday's discussions. Presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov described the Moscow talks as “timely and highly useful” and said the Americans had presented several possible approaches to a settlement. But Putin told the envoys that Russian forces were making progress on the battlefield and reiterated that any agreement would have to address what Moscow calls the “root causes” of the conflict. The discussions also went beyond Ukraine. Russian officials said potential economic cooperation and major future US-Russia projects were discussed in considerable detail. Washington is now seeking to move the process towards direct negotiations involving all sides. Witkoff and Kushner said they hoped trilateral talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine could resume soon. A separate US-Ukraine-Europe meeting is also expected, although no dates or locations have been announced. The diplomatic push comes as fighting continues despite a temporary reduction in attacks on the two capitals during the envoys' visits. Putin ordered Russian forces to pause strikes on Kyiv during the US delegation's trip, while Zelensky said Ukraine would refrain from attacking Moscow. Fighting elsewhere continued, however, with both countries launching large numbers of drones and missiles. Ukraine said it struck Russia's Ryazan oil refinery around 480 kilometres inside Russian territory, while Russian attacks continued against several Ukrainian regions. The latest mission therefore appears to have reopened diplomatic channels without resolving the issues that have repeatedly blocked previous negotiations. Trump said before the trip that Washington had a fresh “idea for peace.” Witkoff and Kushner have now presented proposals to both Putin and Zelensky, and both sides have agreed to continue talking. But with Moscow refusing to retreat from its territorial demands and Kyiv unwilling to surrender land or accept a settlement without credible security guarantees, the gap remains substantial. For now, Washington has succeeded in getting the diplomatic process moving again. It has not yet found the compromise needed to stop the war.