Christine Drews Sieger
Behind closed doors, Kyiv’s unorthodox strategy is finally breaking the ice as Trump’s top envoys prepare for a historic trip to Ukraine.
Major geopolitical shifts rarely happen overnight. But after months of quiet maneuvering and unexpected diplomatic strategies, a massive shift in momentum is finally becoming public knowledge.
In an attempt to kickstart peace negotiations, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are now planning their first trip to the Ukrainian capital. According to the Financial Times, the two US envoys are attempting to pave the way for an end to the war, U24 Media reports.
This development follows high-level discussions on July 28. President Donald Trump received Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.
The Ukrainian leader visited Washington in connection with Senator Lindsey Graham’s funeral. Zelenskyy clearly understands the shifting dynamics and noted that “President Trump wants to be where there is success.”
Unconventional peace
Tactics Advisors in Kyiv spent months quietly working to reframe the conflict for a conservative audience. It was a daunting task. The relationship between Washington and Kyiv took a serious hit during a tense meeting at the start of 2025.
According to sources, however, the ice began to break roughly a year later when the leaders met by chance during Pope Francis’s funeral. Ukraine recently hosted the right-wing commentator Laura Loomer for an extensive dialogue.
Officials surprised her by digging up an 1895 birth certificate from Vinnytsia that belonged to her great-grandfather. To dent the Russian propaganda circulating on the American right, the Ukrainians took an unconventional approach: they presented Laura Loomer with her great-grandfather’s original Ukrainian birth certificate from 1895.
The unorthodox strategy seems to be bearing fruit. Trump publicly praised Loomer’s subsequent interview with the Ukrainian president. He shared the conversation on social media, calling it “Very good!!!” according to the Financial Times.
Securing the future
To maintain this crucial support, Ukraine is rapidly reorganizing its internal structure. Zelenskyy has just carried out a comprehensive reshuffle in the leadership of his Ministry of Defence and the armed forces.
The reshuffles in defence serve a dual purpose for Ukraine: maintaining pressure on the frontline while simultaneously sending a clear signal to Washington to secure continued, long-term US support.
Even with these diplomatic victories, the ultimate obstacle remains in Moscow. Zelenskyy recently emphasized that Russian forces have lost the strategic initiative, pointing to Vladimir Putin as the primary reason why a ceasefire remains unattainable. “We want to stop this war. … We ask to stop this war every day, at a minimum to negotiate a ceasefire for a period and let the diplomats negotiate,”
Zelenskyy explained. “But Putin doesn’t want to, so that is the problem. Therefore, we have to respond, be decisive, be strong,” he added, Financial Times reports.
The role of Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff
Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are American businessmen with backgrounds in the real estate industry who have been appointed by President Donald Trump as special envoys in international peace negotiations.
According to The New York Times Magazine, over the past year, they have participated in diplomatic meetings with, among others, Hamas, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Iranian negotiators as part of Trump’s efforts to broker international peace agreements.
Both continue to hold extensive business interests while fulfilling their diplomatic roles, which has led to debate over potential conflicts of interest and the blurring of private business interests and public duties.
