(KYIV) – US President Donald Trump’s peace envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, faced an awkward reception in Kyiv after travelling directly from Moscow, where they had met with the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, as Russian missiles continued to strike the city.
The visit, witnessed by journalist Caolan Robertson, was marked by Russian strikes on Kyiv just 24 hours before the envoys were due to arrive. The street where they were scheduled to stand was hit by a drone, and both of Kyiv’s airports were bombed. According to Robertson, this was done to derail the trip and scare off Witkoff. Both airports were supposed to receive the envoys on what would have been one of the first international flights since 2022.
Witkoff, a businessman and real estate developer with longstanding ties to Trump, was appointed to lead peace negotiations. His financial interests in Russia have been a source of controversy. Robertson previously confronted him in Davos, asking why he had been to Moscow eight times but refused to come to Kyiv.
Speaking to Tucker Carlson about a year and a half ago, Witkoff described how Putin had prayed for Trump after an assassination attempt and commissioned a portrait of the US president. “President Putin had commissioned a beautiful portrait of President Trump from the leading Russian artist and actually gave it to me and asked me to take it home to President Trump. It was such a gracious moment,” Witkoff said. He added that this connection was reestablished “through a simple word called communication.”
When Witkoff finally arrived in Kyiv, Robertson asked him: “How can Putin want peace if he tried to bomb the airport that you were supposed to land in?” Witkoff did not answer. This was similar to his response in Davos.
During a brief press pool observation of the negotiations, Witkoff was seen telling President Volodymyr Zelenskyy what Putin had told him. Witkoff had said to Putin: “We were sitting outside just now, me, Jared, and Carol, and then Yuri joined us, and we were all talking about when we retire, we’ll have all these incredible stories and incredible memories, and yours will be right at the top of it all.”
At a subsequent press conference, the first question came from a Ukrainian journalist who asked how they could sit opposite someone like Putin, a war criminal. Witkoff did not acknowledge the question and instead said: “I’ve made, I guess, about eight visits to Moscow to meet with President Putin and his team. We’ve always been treated respectfully by President Putin and his team.”
Shelby from Newsmax asked whether the US was prepared to increase pressure on Russia if there was no breakthrough. Witkoff replied: “President Trump comes from the business world, which in the business world, you think about things in the context of win-win. How do you create opportunities for both sides to do what’s in their interest?” He added: “From President Putin’s perspective, I think he has certain objectives he expresses that he wants to achieve, but obviously there are different aspirations he has for his country.”
Zelenskyy appeared annoyed during the exchange. According to Robertson, the envoys were applying business deal rhetoric to a land invasion. The fundamental problem with treating war as a business transaction is the moral question. It is no longer about who is right, but about what everything is worth. Journalists later joked that the only progress made was that Kyiv was not bombed while Witkoff was in town.
Following the press conference, Witkoff returned to the United States. Ukrainians were left bewildered that the US government could send two people directly from Moscow and treat the invasion as a real estate deal.
Robertson noted that Russia did everything possible to derail the day. The drone strike hit the Golden Gate area, which is full of diplomats. Many believe this was done intentionally to scare off Witkoff and Kushner. Bombing the area where diplomats live and the airport where the envoys were supposed to land was deliberate.
Leaked conversations suggest Putin seemed more confident than ever, with demands more extreme than before. He is demanding not just Donbas but entire other regions of Ukraine. Russian forces continue to advance slowly towards Donbas, approaching Kramatorsk and the fortress belt. Air defence systems in Kyiv have been depleted to zero. Putin feels emboldened and is making more extreme demands.
North Korean troops, weapons, and intelligence continue to flow to Russia. Iran continues to share information and supplies. A new axis is forming against Ukraine, the largest country in Europe. NATO remains unable to act. Russia is openly declaring terrorism across Europe and launching new waves of sabotage on industry and manufacturing. The US government is as far away as ever from helping Europe.
Robertson concluded that Putin did everything he could to derail the trip because he was worried there might have been progress. That is why he bombed both airports and hit the street full of diplomats. Putin was genuinely worried that the conversations could have brought Ukraine closer to peace. Those concerns were put to bed as soon as the press conference began. The next day, he would have read the headlines with a smile, knowing that what he said to Witkoff and Kushner worked. That is why he launched a massive attack as a middle finger to everything. On this diplomatic mission, he got exactly what he wanted.
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