Zelensky hails 'very positive' call with Witkoff and Kushner; first Kyiv visit by Trump envoys weighed before Evian G7
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said June 8 he held a 'very positive' conversation with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, praising their 'readiness to work as actively as possible already in the we.
At a glance
- Zelensky said June 8, 2026 he had a 'very positive' conversation with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner
- Zelensky spoke during a stopover in Chisinau, Moldova, returning from London talks with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany
- The call covered prospects for talks at the G7 summit in Evian, France
- US and Ukrainian officials are discussing a first official Kyiv visit by Witkoff and Kushner in coming weeks; both envoys have previously travelled only to Moscow
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said June 9 that the envoys had not yet conveyed the results of the Zelensky conversation to Moscow
VERDICT — CONFIRMED
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said June 8 he held a 'very positive' conversation with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, praising their 'readiness to work as actively as possible already in the weeks to come to give a boost to diplomacy for ending Russia's war against Ukraine'. Speaking during a stopover in Chisinau, Moldova, while returning from London talks with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany, Zelensky said the sides discussed prospects for talks at the forthcoming G7 summit in the French resort of Evian, adding that while global attention focuses on Iran, 'our common goal regarding peace in Europe is on the agenda'. US and Ukrainian officials continue to discuss a possible visit to Kyiv by Witkoff and Kushner in the coming weeks — what would be the first official visit to Ukraine for the two envoys, who have previously travelled to Moscow for talks with Russia.
The US-brokered settlement track has been on pause as Washington's attention shifted to the Iran crisis. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said June 9 that Witkoff and Kushner had not yet conveyed the results of their conversation with Zelensky to Moscow but would do so promptly if there were new developments. Russian attacks killed three people in Ukraine over the same period, Reuters reported.
European leaders are backing a Zelensky-Putin meeting to secure a ceasefire.
Why it matters
the first concrete sign of re-engagement by Trump's envoys on the Ukraine track since the pause, with a Kyiv visit and the Evian G7 emerging as the next waypoints for a settlement push.
Key facts on file
- Zelensky said June 8, 2026 he had a 'very positive' conversation with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner
- Zelensky spoke during a stopover in Chisinau, Moldova, returning from London talks with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany
- The call covered prospects for talks at the G7 summit in Evian, France
- US and Ukrainian officials are discussing a first official Kyiv visit by Witkoff and Kushner in coming weeks; both envoys have previously travelled only to Moscow
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said June 9 that the envoys had not yet conveyed the results of the Zelensky conversation to Moscow
- Russian attacks killed three people in Ukraine in the same period
