Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly criticized two senior American envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, for traveling to Moscow without first visiting Kyiv, calling the decision disrespectful to Ukraine, according to reporting by The Independent.
Zelensky's remarks signal growing frustration in Kyiv over the sequencing of American diplomatic contacts as the Trump administration pursues a negotiated end to the conflict. The Ukrainian leader argued that visiting Moscow ahead of Kyiv sends the wrong signal about Washington's impartiality in the peace process.
Despite the criticism, Zelensky indicated he was willing to accommodate the envoys. He said he could meet with Witkoff and Kushner at a location outside Ukraine if the logistical challenges of traveling to the country proved too difficult for the American delegation. Ukraine's wartime capital presents significant security and access complications for visiting officials.
The remarks reflect a broader tension between Kyiv and Washington over how the Trump administration is conducting its diplomacy. Ukraine has repeatedly expressed concern that direct engagement with Moscow, without equivalent outreach to Kyiv, could undermine its position in any future peace talks.
Witkoff, a real estate developer and close ally of President Donald Trump, has emerged as one of the administration's key informal intermediaries in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, has also played a back-channel diplomatic role in various international matters since Trump returned to office.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Efforts to broker a ceasefire have intensified in recent months, with the Trump administration positioning itself as a potential mediator between the two sides. Both Kyiv and Moscow have publicly stated conditions for any negotiations, with significant gaps remaining between their respective positions.
Zelensky has consistently insisted that Ukraine must be a central participant in any talks that determine the country's future, and has pushed back against frameworks that would allow major decisions to be reached without Ukrainian input.
