US negotiators Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Kyiv for the first time

US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Kiev in the struggle to end the war in Ukraine. The Unian news agency distributed a video of the two men arriving in the Ukrainian capital by train. Pictures show the meeting with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky.

Witkoff and Kushner had previously been to Russia for talks with Vladimir Putin, and the Kremlin described the meeting as constructive. The two Americans are visiting Kyiv for the first time.

The three-day ceasefire that Vladimir Putin ordered from Saturday to Monday only affects the Ukrainian capital Kiev. This is intended to ensure that US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy there, are not threatened by Russian air strikes. The two Americans have already been to Russia several times for talks, but are now visiting Kiev for the first time to negotiate peace between Russia and Ukraine.

However, air strikes on other targets were not suspended. Ukraine, for example, attacked the Russian oil refinery in Ryazan, and explosions were reported in the Rostock-on-Don area.

The new talks on the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine between Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, which were scheduled at short notice, have come to an end in Moscow. After about three hours of discussions, the meeting ended. According to a White House official, concrete plans for next steps in the Ukraine war talks were discussed. These will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Kremlin described the meeting as “useful” and “constructive.” Putin told the envoys that Russia would achieve its goals and that the root causes of the conflict must be resolved. Russia also presented its assessment of the situation at the front. High-ranking Russian government official Kirill Dmitriev described the trip as an “important peace visit.”

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov, the US negotiators had new proposals in their luggage. Peskov did not give any details. Trump also said that Witkoff and Kushner would come with a proposal.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has again negotiated a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia to allow repairs to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi announced that repair work would begin on Saturday after demining work had been carried out. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the Russian-occupied facility's cooling systems could be affected by a blackout within days, the IAEA warned on Platform X.

The Russian army attacked the main building of the Ukrainian secret service SBU in the center of the capital Kiev with a drone. “The drone aimed directly at the office of the head of the SBU in this building,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Telegram. According to Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko, five people were injured.