The talks in Kyiv were rich in symbolism. The sight of Donald Trump's envoys setting foot on Ukrainian soil for the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion. The fact they had to travel by train because they could not risk flying and running the gauntlet of Russian drones - weapons launched on the orders of the man at whose table they sat in the Kremlin only hours ago.
The symbolism of Ukrainian President Zelensky greeting Witkoff and Kushner at Kyiv's Saint Sophia Cathedral, not only an icon of Ukraine's ancient history, but also just a few yards from where Russian drones hit the headquarters of the country's security services on Friday. You did not have to join too many dots to work out the point Zelensky was making.
Both sides held talks for several hours; they were later joined by some European national security advisers, including the UK's National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell. Afterwards, all sides spoke warmly of having held substantive discussions. They spoke hopefully of reviving past "trilateral talks" involving both the US and Europe.
However, fundamental differences remain between Russia and Ukraine, and no concrete agreements have been announced. The visit marked a rare moment of direct US-Ukraine engagement following Trump's controversial outreach to Moscow, but the gap between each side's negotiating positions continues to stall progress toward a ceasefire.