There's a certain rhythm to shuttle diplomacy: fly in, meet the leaders, fly out, hope the other side doesn't start shooting before you're home. This week, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff says the latest round of that dance made real headway, even if the ceasefire that made it possible didn't outlast the visit.
Witkoff announced Monday that Washington had made "substantive progress" toward reviving Russia-Ukraine negotiations, following a whirlwind of American officials moving between Moscow and Kyiv. The talks even produced "movement on scheduling additional trilateral talks," according to Witkoff.
US Envoys Shuttle Between Moscow, Kyiv
"At President Trump's direction, United States negotiators visited both Moscow and Kyiv in order to facilitate additional dialogue to end the Russia-Ukraine War," Witkoff wrote Monday on his official Special Envoy X account.
Before the trip even started, there was a small but meaningful sign of cooperation: Russia and Ukraine agreed to a three-day "no-shoot policy" to give the diplomats room to work. Witkoff and Jared Kushner, joined by officials from the National Security Council, State Department, and Treasury, then sat down with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss "each side's proposals with the other."
The Moscow meeting stretched past three hours, a sign that both sides were willing to engage seriously. This came after President Donald Trump said the U.S. had a "concrete proposal" for peace, and after Witkoff and Kushner had already been sent back into negotiations with Putin as earlier diplomacy stalled.
In Kyiv, the American delegation got some backup: national security advisers from Britain, Germany, and France joined the discussions "to collaborate on the path forward," Witkoff said. Sunday marked Witkoff and Kushner's first official wartime visit to the Ukrainian capital.
Witkoff Sees Progress Toward More Talks
"We think we made a lot of progress in Moscow. We heard new ideas," Witkoff told reporters Sunday. He described the Kyiv talks as "substantive" and expressed confidence "that there'll be a good resolution here."
On Monday, Witkoff offered his clearest assessment yet: "Substantive progress was made, including movement on scheduling additional trilateral talks. President Trump is working hard to stop the killing and work towards a lasting and durable peace."
The latest push comes after months of attempts to bridge deep disagreements over territory and security guarantees. Putin recently said he believed a peace deal was still possible, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe floated the idea of a Trump-Putin-Zelenskyy summit during an August visit to Moscow.
Kremlin Cautious As Fighting Resumes
Not everyone is ready to book the next meeting. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Russia didn't rule out resuming trilateral talks, but called discussion of dates or a venue premature, according to a Reuters report.
The fragility of this diplomatic window became painfully clear on Tuesday, when Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv shortly after Witkoff and Kushner left Ukraine, injuring six people. It's a stark reminder that even when negotiators are making progress, the war on the ground has its own timetable.
