WASHINGTON — U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner returned home following the abrupt cancellation of a planned meeting with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelenskiy in Brussels. The encounter, initially expected to take place Tuesday night, was called off hours after reports indicated the delegation would meet with Zelensky upon their return from Kremlin talks.
The U.S.-Russia peace negotiations concluded Tuesday afternoon at the Kremlin. Witkoff flew back to Washington without stopping in Europe, raising questions about the timing of the canceled meeting. Earlier media reports suggested that Witkoff was scheduled to brief Zelenskiy on progress from his high-stakes discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
While sources close to Ukraine initially reported the Brussels meeting was called off due to U.S. diplomatic actions following the Kremlin talks, Russian aide Yury Ushakov downplayed speculation surrounding a direct encounter between Washington and Kyiv regarding potential signals about peace efforts. “A compromise hasn’t been found” in discussions with Kiev, said Ushakov after five hours of Russia-U.S. negotiations.
The apparent dismissal of an immediate meeting underscores the delicate position Ukraine’s leadership faces as international mediators weigh their options following talks with Moscow. Witkoff and Kushner will now return to Washington to reassess future diplomatic engagements between Kyiv and Washington, according to available reports on Tuesday night travel movements from Brussels.