The envoy of the White House organizes productive discussions with Ukrainian officials before the UN meeting

EXCLUSIVE: The Séve Witkoff’s special envoy Steve Witkoff met Ukrainian officials in New York on Friday for “very productive and constructive” talks before the meeting of the United Nations Security Council of kyiv, Fox News Digital learned.

Witkoff met Andriy Yermak, the head of the president and chief of staff of Ukraine, and Sergiy Kyslysya, the ambassador of extraordinary Ukraine.

The Russian attack kills 17, injury 48 others in Kyiv, say the Ukrainian officials

High officials of the familiar administration with the meeting told Fox News Digital that Yermak and Kyslysya had given Witkoff an update of war with the war with Russia and the latest attacks in Moscow.

Russia launched a large -scale attack on kyiv on Wednesday evening, killing at least 17 people, injuring 48 others and damaging buildings, managers Ukraine said.

Russian president Vladimir Putin, on the left, meets the American special envoy Steve Witkoff, right, at the Palais du Kremlin in Moscow on August 6, 2025. (Kremlin Press Office / Handout / Anadolu via Getty Images)

Ukrainian officials invited Witkoff to visit Ukraine in the future, a senior official at Fox News Digital said.

Witkoff continues talks with Ukrainian officials, who say they are progressing.

The meeting, according to officials of the Trump administration, was an update of the status and a reaffirmation of the objective of ensuring that Ukraine and Russia meet to finally reach an agreement to end the war.

Witkoff’s diplomatic approach in very sensitive talks was greeted by Trump’s office officials and foreign officials.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also praised Witkoff’s work, saying that he is “a key member of President Trump’s team and plays an essential role in the advancement of the president’s priorities”.

Rubio told Fox News Digital that “the unique perspective and innovative approach to Witkoff have opened up new diplomacy opportunities that were not previously available”.

“It was remarkable to see him in action and a privilege to call him colleague,” Rubio told Fox News Digital.

The United Kingdom National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell also praised Witkoff’s style.

Powell has thought about his over 30 years of experience in peace negotiations, telling Fox News Digital that “there is a lot of snobbery in diplomacy – that peace can only be made in chandelier rooms, with a delegation of dozens of civil servants and decades of diplomatic experience”.

“But according to my experience, people who succeed in making peace work alone and focus on building confidence between the main leaders on each side and move quietly to conclude an agreement,” said Powell. “Steve Witkoff is exactly this kind of person.”

Steve Witkoff, Special American Envoy in the Middle East, during a signing ceremony of the decree in the White House Oval Office in Washington on February 3, 2025. (Chris Kleponis / CNP / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Powell told Fox News Digital that Witkoff’s experience “conclude agreements in a completely different field”, as well as its “charm and optimism, not slope by the dozens of reasons why an initiative cannot work, and an accent made on access to a lasting agreement.

“During the courtyard of this year, Steve was able to open doors that no one else could and make peace possible in a series of different conflicts which would have remained insoluble.”

And Jared Kushner, former Trump’s senior advisor during his first administration, told Fox News Digital that the “small targeted teams from the Trump administration with the right leadership could obtain great results”.

Secretary of state Marco Rubio also praised Steve Witkoff’s work, saying that he is “a key member of President Trump’s team and plays an essential role in the progress of the president’s priorities”. (Mark Schiefelbein / The Associated Press)

“Coming from the world of agreement, the management of several complex offers at the same time is not uncommon,” said Kushner, praising “the commitment, creativity and determination of Witkoff to solve some of the most complex problems in the world”.

“Steve does not ask for advice and expertise when he assesses a situation and evolves his prospects as the facts change,” said Kushner.

The reports this week, however, cited anonymous sources which said that Witkoff did not have enough experience to manage the Ukrainian-Russia conflict.

Vice-President JD Vance, however, told Fox News Digital that Witkoff had “made more progress towards the end of blood breaking in Ukraine than all his combined criticisms”.

“He is a natural diplomat, an experienced negotiator and a real humanitarian,” said Vance.

Vance castigated those who criticized Witkoff for simply being “threatened”.

Russia is launching the biggest attack on Ukraine this month after Trump meetings with Putin, Zelenskyy

“These smears come from life bureaucrats who are threatened by Steve’s success and which are essentially opposed to a productive peace process,” said Vance.

Meanwhile, Witkoff’s meeting with New York officials comes only a few hours after Ukraine asked for an open emergency briefing from the United Nations Security Council as a result of night air attacks against kyiv and other cities across Ukraine.

The members of the Denmark Council, France, Greece, the Republic of Korea, Slovenia and the United Kingdom supported the request for a meeting.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the left, meets President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, August 19, 2025. (Ukrainian Presidency / Handout / Anadolu via Getty Images)

The reports indicate that Russia has used nearly 600 drones and more than 30 ballistic and cruise missiles during the attack this week.

Russia’s continuous attacks are used after Trump met Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska earlier in August. Putin proposed that Ukraine gives up a territory in exchange for peace.

A few days later, Trump welcomed the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy And several European heads of state in the White House, and he urged Ukraine to accept an land exchange agreement with Russia. Trump argued that it is the most effective way to end war.

Trump welcomed Zelenskyy with the French president Emmanuel MacronBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia meloni And Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

NATO secretary general Mark Rutte And the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen also attended the meeting at the White House.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO secretary general, Mark Rutte, are preparing to leave after a group photo before meeting the White House on August 18 Washington. (Win McNamee / Getty images)

Trump coordinates the next stages of brokerage at the end of the war and encourages Putin and Zelenskyy to meet.

Trump said that after Putin and Zelenskyy meet, he will organize a “trilat”, which will be a meeting between Putin, Zelenskyy and Trump.

“After this meeting, we will have a trilat, who would be the two presidents, as well as myself,” said Trump last week. “Once again, it was a very good early step for a war that has been going on for almost four years. Vice-president JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, coordinate with Russia and Ukraine.”

But after the last attack, Zelenskyy castigated Putin, saying that Russia “chooses ballistics instead of the negotiation table. He chooses to continue killing instead of ending the war.

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“And this means that Russia still does not fear the consequences,” added Zelenskyy. “Russia always benefits from the fact that at least part of the world closes their eyes on murdered children and seeks apologies to Putin.”

Zelenskyy added that it is “certainly time for new difficult sanctions against Russia for everything he does.

“All deadlines have already been broken, dozens of diplomacy opportunities have ruined,” he said. “Russia must feel responsible for each strike, for each day of this war. Eternal memory to all the victims of Russia.”