What Trump's representatives agreed on in Kyiv and why Putin is faking peace negotiations

Volodymyr Zelenskyy had been seeking this visit since last year. Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s envoy in peace negotiations with Russia, finally decided to come to Ukraine. During that time, he had flown to Moscow, by his own count, eight times.

Witkoff came to Kyiv together with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Everyone continues to speak about the intention to "stop the war this year", although in reality, no one has any hopes that this will happen.

The negotiators, however, do have realistic objectives.

Read more about the new attempt to revive negotiations, what can be expected from them and the hidden danger posed by this apparent "warming" in the article by European Pravda's editor Sergiy Sydorenko: Love for the 'regime' and a task from Trump: what was discussed at the peace talks in Kyiv.

A telling aspect of the visit was the American guests’ disregard for protocol that all of Ukraine’s other partners consider mandatory. They did not lay flowers at the Wall of Remembrance of Ukraine’s defenders on Mykhailivska Square, and they also declined to visit sites in Kyiv that had been hit by Russian attacks.

This was due to the American understanding of their own "neutrality".

The purpose of the American negotiators’ visits to Moscow and Kyiv is to act as mediators in negotiations for peace, or at least for a lasting ceasefire. But there is an important detail.

Absolutely no one believes that Putin is ready to stop Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Even Jared Kushner, who would presumably be expected to project optimism on Trump’s behalf, declined to give an affirmative answer when directly asked by American media whether he believed the war could end before the beginning of winter.

So why are the American mediators returning to the process?

There is a strategy under which Trump wants to achieve at least an interim success. His representatives have publicly indicated what they see as that scenario.

At a press conference in Kyiv, Witkoff and Kushner actively discussed trilateral negotiations involving the United States, Ukraine and Russia.

Kushner even announced plans to resume such negotiations.

At the same time, Trump’s representative acknowledged that, among its other advantages, such a mechanism would allow the United States to shift responsibility onto Kyiv and Moscow. To some extent, this would relieve the United States of responsibility for the outcome or, more precisely, for the lack of one.

Sources speaking to European Pravda are convinced that restoring the "trilateral format" is in the interests not only of the United States, but also of Ukraine.

This is because, although the United States would be handing over part of the responsibility, it would not be leaving Kyiv on its own.

"Will the trilateral format be effective? It will certainly be more effective than bilateral negotiations. Will it lead to real peace? Probably not by the end of winter, but we must use every opportunity," a source told European Pravda.

In addition, there are hopes on the Ukrainian side that a transition to active negotiations will create room for tactical agreements. After all, previous experience shows that large-scale prisoner exchanges have been agreed upon during trilateral meetings. In Kyiv, there are hopes that it may be possible to agree on "de-escalation measures, such as reducing the intensity of shelling".

And although Ukraine does not speak publicly about this, it is obvious that at some point Moscow, including under pressure from some of its few partners, may become ready for negotiations concerning navigation in the Black Sea.

However, when forming expectations, it is also necessary to take into account the possibility that Russia has hidden motives.

The Kremlin is currently interested in simulating agreement to a new format of negotiations for at least two weeks – until 18 September. After that date, Congress goes into recess for elections, and the threat of passing the Graham-Blumenthal sanctions bill will pass.

Ten days of intense struggle over the sanctions bill lie ahead.

One unquestionably positive feature of the visit is Europe’s return to the process. The presence of representatives from Germany, France and the UK was perhaps the greatest achievement of these negotiations.