U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys have traveled repeatedly to Moscow for meetings with Vladimir Putin but have yet to make a single visit to Kyiv, despite months of promises, the Kyiv Independent has learned.
The diplomatic imbalance has fueled mounting frustration in Kyiv as Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's special envoys for Ukraine peace negotiations, continue to delay their first trip to the Ukrainian capital. According to a senior Ukrainian official familiar with the matter, the hesitation stems from concerns in Washington that renewed engagement may produce no tangible results.
"They've promised (to visit Kyiv) many times, but so far they haven't followed through even once," the Ukrainian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The comment underscores growing Ukrainian unease over what appears to be preferential treatment of Moscow in U.S. diplomatic efforts.
The envoys' repeated visits to the Russian capital stand in stark contrast to their absence from Ukraine. While Witkoff and Kushner have held multiple rounds of discussions with Russian leadership, Ukrainian officials say they have received only vague assurances about a future visit with no concrete dates.
In Ukraine, as across nations defending their sovereignty, resilience is not just survival—it's determination to build a better future. Yet the diplomatic dynamic raises fundamental questions about Ukrainian agency in negotiations over its own territory and future. Ukrainian officials privately worry that conducting talks primarily through Moscow could marginalize Kyiv's position and undermine its negotiating leverage.
The situation reflects broader anxieties in Ukraine about the Trump administration's approach to ending the war. While Trump has repeatedly promised to negotiate peace quickly, Ukrainian leaders have emphasized that any settlement must respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"You cannot negotiate about Ukraine without Ukraine," one Ukrainian diplomat said, echoing a sentiment that has become increasingly common in Kyiv as the envoys continue their Moscow-centric shuttle diplomacy.
The imbalance also raises questions about the substance of the peace talks. Ukrainian officials say they have limited visibility into what is being discussed in Moscow and whether Russian demands are being taken at face value without Ukrainian input to provide context and counter-arguments.
For Ukraine, which has been fighting Russian aggression for over three years since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, the diplomatic snub carries symbolic weight. The country has suffered massive casualties, seen cities reduced to rubble, and endured systematic attacks on civilian infrastructure. Ukrainian officials believe their perspective and direct testimony from the battlefield should be central to any peace process.
The Trump envoys' office did not respond to requests for comment on their travel plans or the reasons for prioritizing Moscow visits. The Kyiv Independent report represents the first detailed account of the diplomatic dynamic, based on conversations with multiple Ukrainian and Western officials.
As negotiations continue without Ukrainian participation, officials in Kyiv are left to parse secondhand accounts and public statements for clues about what is being decided regarding their nation's future. The situation exemplifies the complex challenge facing Ukraine: maintaining agency and influence while depending on international support to defend against a much larger adversary.
