Trump envoys Witkoff and Kushner arrive in Ukraine after Putin talks in new push to end war

White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Ukraine on Sunday as part of a diplomatic mission to discuss proposals for ending the war. The visit follows a three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. A White House official stated that the parties discussed substantive plans for next steps, with further details expected in the coming weeks. President Trump had previously indicated that the envoys were carrying a peace proposal and expressed optimism about its potential success. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed that the American delegation made serious preparations and discussed potential mutually beneficial deals between the U.S. and Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the need for security guarantees and noted that European national security advisers would participate in the sessions. To facilitate the talks, both Russia and Ukraine agreed to a three-day pause in strikes. Pope Leo XIV expressed hope from the Vatican that these diplomatic efforts would yield concrete results. Additionally, the U.S. delegation reportedly thanked Putin for the recent release of Robert Gilman, a former U.S. Marine who had been imprisoned in Russia since 2022.