Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a "very positive" conversation on Monday, June 8, 2026, with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner aimed at advancing diplomacy to end the war in Ukraine [1, 2, 3, 4]. The call took place during Zelenskyy’s stopover in Chisinau, Moldova, while he was returning from talks in London with British, French, and German leaders [1, 2, 3, 4]. Those European leaders backed a proposed meeting between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to seek a ceasefire [1, 2, 3].
Zelenskyy and the envoys discussed prospects for renewed talks at the upcoming G7 summit in Evian, France [1, 2, 3, 4]. Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the US envoys' readiness "to work as actively as possible already in the weeks to come to give a boost to diplomacy for ending Russia's war against Ukraine," calling the conversation "very positive" [1, 3]. He noted, "although the world’s attention is on Iran, our shared goal of peace in Europe remains on the agenda" [3].
The US-brokered talks on Ukraine overseen by Witkoff and Kushner had stalled due to the US focus on the conflict in Iran [1, 2]. On May 31, Zelenskyy said he expected the envoys to visit Kyiv within two weeks [4]. During the June 8 call, Zelenskyy also said, "I outlined the data we have regarding what Moscow is intent on. I appreciated their positive assessment of Ukraine's positions" [4].
Meanwhile, ongoing conflict continued as Russian missile and drone attacks killed five people and wounded 16 others in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Donetsk regions on Monday, June 8 [3].
The next key developments will be the planned renewed diplomatic efforts around the G7 summit in Evian, where talks involving Zelenskyy, US representatives, and other world leaders are expected to further discuss ways to end the war.
