Several professional US negotiators arrived in Kyiv with Witkoff and Kushner
Along with U.S. President’s Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, several other U.S. officials who had previously worked on negotiations regarding Ukraine and Iran arrived in Kyiv. Among them are White House adviser Nick Stewart, Acting Deputy Secretary of the Treasury for Sanctions Jean Lang, and Director of Operations for the Special Envoy Andrew Bragman. Journalists have not yet been able to identify some members of the delegation.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner did not arrive in Kyiv alone. They were accompanied by a U.S. negotiating team that had previously been involved in discussions regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine and negotiations with Iran. The day before, the U.S. representatives visited Moscow, where they spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for about three hours. Afterward, they traveled to Kyiv to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Reuters notes that no breakthrough was achieved in Moscow, although the U.S. side stated it was interested in continuing the discussions.
At the same time, the delegation turned out to be larger than just Witkoff and Kushner. Journalists from “The Agency” analyzed video footage from Moscow and Kyiv and identified several U.S. officials who accompanied the special envoys.
Nick Stewart also worked on the negotiations with Iran
One of the team members was Nick Stewart—a policy advisor in the White House Office of Special Peace Missions. He had already been involved with the U.S. negotiating team on Iran. In May, Stewart was added to this team, and in June, he participated in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran in Switzerland.
In a video from Kyiv, Stewart was also seen during a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian president shook his hand. Thus, Stewart is one of the individuals working across multiple fronts of U.S. diplomacy—from negotiations on Iran to efforts to broker an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Gene Lang Is in Charge of Sanctions
Another prominent member of the delegation was Gene Lang, the acting U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury for Sanctions. He was also in Moscow during the American team’s current trip. According to Axios, Lang participated in a preparatory meeting with Vladimir Putin’s representative, Kirill Dmitriev, but he was not present at the actual meeting between Witkoff, Kushner, and Putin.
In Kyiv, Lang was present during the U.S. delegation’s meeting with Zelenskyy. His presence is particularly significant given his focus on sanctions. The U.S. Department of the Treasury plays a key role in developing and implementing U.S. sanctions against Russia.
Therefore, the participation of a representative from this department may indicate that the negotiations are addressing not only the political aspects of a potential peace process but also economic levers of influence over Russia.
Andrew Bregman also arrived in Kyiv
Journalists also identified Andrew Bregman among the members of the U.S. delegation. He serves as director of operations for the special envoy for peacekeeping missions. Bregman has already participated in previous U.S. engagements regarding Ukraine. He was also spotted in a video from the meeting between Witkoff and Kushner in Kyiv with Ukrainian officials.
In other words, this trip was a continuation of his work on the U.S. negotiating team rather than a separate visit.
Not all team members could be identified
Videos from Moscow and Kyiv show at least two other members of the U.S. delegation. However, journalists from “The Agency” were unable to identify them. It is known that one of them previously participated in negotiations regarding Ukraine alongside Witkoff and Kushner in Paris. He was also present at the U.S.-mediated Russian-Ukrainian talks in the United Arab Emirates.
Another unidentified member of the U.S. team attended consultations on Ukraine in Paris and Berlin. He can also be seen alongside Witkoff in footage from Kyiv. In other words, the current U.S. team consists not only of political representatives. It includes officials who already have experience working on Ukraine-related issues, sanctions, peace missions, and other international negotiations.
European representatives were also in Kyiv
During the meetings in Kyiv, the U.S. team was also assisted by representatives from European countries. According to Reuters, national security advisers from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany participated in the negotiations.
This is an important point for the Ukrainian side. Kyiv has long insisted that European allies must be involved in discussions of future agreements, especially when it comes to security guarantees. Witkoff and Kushner’s visit to Kyiv was their first since taking office as representatives of the Trump administration. Prior to that, they held talks with Putin in Moscow.
The Americans want to move the negotiations forward
The current trip comes amid a new attempt by Washington to bring Russia and Ukraine back to the negotiating table. After meeting with Putin, Witkoff and Kushner stated that they are committed to continuing their efforts. According to Axios, U.S. representatives want to achieve significant progress before the start of winter and work on an updated peace proposal.
In Kyiv, they held talks with Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian side described the conversation as substantive. Topics included not only a possible end to the war but also support for Ukraine ahead of winter, particularly issues related to air defense and energy. At the same time, it is still too early to speak of a finalized peace agreement. Previous rounds of negotiations did not yield significant results, and serious differences remain between Russia and Ukraine.
For now, the main outcome of the trip is the resumption of direct dialogue after a long hiatus. The U.S. side is trying to bring Russia and Ukraine back to the negotiating table and is involving officials from various fields—ranging from sanctions to international diplomacy—in the process. This is reported by Telegram channels.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is holding a separate one-on-one meeting with U.S. President’s Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
