Zelensky Calls U.S. Envoys Steve Witkoff And Jared Kushner’s Moscow Visits Disrespectful

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said U.S.-facilitated peace discussions are being handled in a way he called “disrespectful” because U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have visited Moscow without making an official trip to Kyiv.

In an interview broadcast on Monday by Ukrainian channel ICTV, Zelensky said, “I consider their arrival is needed by them, not us,” and added, “It’s disrespectful to come to Moscow and not Kyiv.”

BBC

Zelensky told ICTV that he understands “complex logistics,” but said, “If they don’t want to, we can meet in other countries.”

The BBC reported that Zelensky said he considered visits by Witkoff and Kushner to Moscow but not Kyiv “disrespectful,” and quoted him saying, “It’s disrespectful [for them] to come to Moscow and not Kyiv, it’s just disrespectful.”

The Kyiv Independent similarly reported Zelensky’s doubts about the format of talks, quoting him: “It’s disrespectful to come to Moscow and not Kyiv” and adding, “We should not make the arrival of Jared and Wikoff some sort of special sensation.”

Zelensky also framed the issue as one of reciprocal engagement, telling ICTV, “We are in contact with them,” and that they “express their desire to continue communication and negotiations over the phone.”

Multiple outlets described a pattern of U.S. envoys traveling to Moscow while Kyiv remained off the schedule.

İlke Haber Ajansı said the two American representatives “have conducted several visits to Moscow,” including “a direct meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on January 22,” and that they “previously held talks with Ukrainian officials in Miami on March 22.”

BBC

It also said they “have yet to travel to Kyiv despite earlier expectations of an April visit.”

The BBC reported that Witkoff “has been to Moscow eight times,” and that neither he nor Kushner “has ever visited Kyiv in an official capacity.”

The Kyiv Independent added that Kushner and Witkoff “have flown to Moscow several times and met Russian President Vladimir Putin in a Jan. 22 visit,” and that “The envoys previously met Ukrainian officials but have not yet travelled to Kyiv.”

The Kyiv Independent said Zelensky cast doubt on whether a meeting would occur in Kyiv or elsewhere, quoting him that it was “difficult to say” whether there would soon be a meeting in Ukraine's capital.

In the same reporting, the BBC said the last trilateral summit between Russia, the US and Ukraine was “in mid-February,” and that less than two weeks later “the US and Israel began striking Iran,” shifting attention away from ending the Ukraine war.

While Zelensky criticized the diplomatic format, he also reiterated what he described as the most practical path to ending active hostilities.

“Zelensky criticized US envoys for avoiding Kyiv while engaging with Moscow, calling it “disrespectful”

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In the ICTV interview described by İlke Haber Ajansı, Zelensky said, “the most practical path to ending active hostilities would be a long-term ceasefire along the current line of contact.”

He explained the logic of simplifying the process, saying, “There was a mutual understanding that we want a simple format because all that is complicated is difficult to implement,” and then added, “Let’s first cease fire long term, and this could be the end of the war in the form of combat.”

The Kyiv Independent quoted Zelensky making the same argument, saying, “The quickest way to end Russia's war would be to cease hostilities along the current line of contact,” and it also quoted him: “Let's first cease fire long term, and this could be the end of the war in the form of combat.”

The BBC similarly reported Zelensky’s view that the key matter is the status of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, and it said Moscow’s demand for sovereign Ukrainian territory in exchange for an end to the war is “unacceptable to Kyiv.”

TAG24 News Deutschland quoted Zelensky rejecting a Russian demand for Ukraine to withdraw from “the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk,” saying it “would undoubtedly be a strategic defeat for us.”

Inbox.lv likewise reported Zelensky’s rejection of Russia’s demand for withdrawal from “the territories of Luhansk and Donetsk regions,” quoting him: “This would certainly be our strategic defeat.”

Several reports connected Zelensky’s criticism of the envoys’ travel pattern to the broader status of negotiations, which they described as stalled and deadlocked over Donbas.

The BBC said ceasefire talks gained pace in autumn 2025 and that by February “both Moscow and Kyiv said they had reached an agreement on some 'military issues', including the location of the front line and ceasefire monitoring,” while “Other issues remain unresolved.”

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It said unresolved issues included Ukraine’s demand that Russia returns “the Ukrainian children it forcibly deported since the start of the war,” and Moscow’s insistence on a “regime change” in Kyiv.

The BBC identified the “key matter” as “the status of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region,” adding that “Moscow's demand for sovereign Ukrainian territory in exchange for an end to the war is unacceptable to Kyiv.”

The Kyiv Independent reported that Zelensky said Moscow was unwilling to agree to cease hostilities along the current line of contact, and it quoted him describing the Kremlin’s ultimatum that Ukraine withdraw from eastern Donbas.

It also reported that on March 31 Zelensky said Russia was giving Ukraine “two months to withdraw from the Donbas region or face new demands,” with Moscow signaling it could seize the region by force within that period.

The BBC quoted Kyrylo Budanov saying, “We are looking for a compromise between two completely polar positions,” and that “We have not yet found it.”

The sources tied Zelensky’s remarks to immediate diplomatic expectations and to the risks he associated with any withdrawal-based deal.

“"Traveling to Moscow and not coming to Kyiv is disrespectful," Zelensky said on Monday in an interview with state news”

Inbox.lv

The Kyiv Independent said Zelensky questioned the effectiveness of assurances without allied presence, quoting him: “If there is no presence of our allies on the contact line, why won't Russia start a new offensive after some time? What will contain them?”

Inbox.lv

It also reported Zelensky’s view that the White House says U.S. President Donald Trump could guarantee security, but he is “out of office in 2.5 years,” and Zelensky asked, “(T)hen what will we do?”

TAG24 News Deutschland described Zelensky’s insistence that “the fastest way to end the war” would be “through a ceasefire along the current front line,” and it said negotiations had been “on hold since February due to the US-Israeli war on Iran.”

The BBC similarly said attention shifted away from ending the Ukraine war after “the US and Israel began striking Iran,” and it described the war as continuing for “more than four years,” with “Large swathes of eastern Ukraine” under Russian control.

The BBC also reported that on one night last week Russia launched “more than 700 drones and missiles in multiple waves,” killing “at least 18 people,” and that Reuters calculations found “at least 20% of Russia's total export capacity was out of order in early April following the attacks.”

In parallel, the BBC quoted Budanov’s warning that if no solution is found, both Kyiv and Moscow will “have to acknowledge one of two things” about ending the war or continuing to kill one another.