US Ceasefire Efforts Face Backlash as Russia Intensifies Attacks on Ukrainian Leadership

A wounded resident at a Ukrainian apartment building damaged during a Russian air raid in the frontline city of Kramatorsk, September 10, 2026 [Serhii Korovainyi/Reuters]. United States envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been labeled as embarrassing and amateurish following their recent attempt to secure a ceasefire in Russia’s war in Ukraine, indicating that European patience with the US administration of Donald Trump is wearing thin.

“Jared Kushner’s incompetence was on full display this weekend,” wrote Slate magazine. “The Witkoff-Kushner circus act is an embarrassment,” stated the Daily Telegraph, while the Financial Times published a story titled, “Kushner and Witkoff’s blind amateurism.” Washington has pursued negotiations independently of its European allies after US President Donald Trump halted military aid to Ukraine and agreed to meet with Putin last year. Witkoff sparked outrage by openly flattering Russian President Vladimir Putin. “When we retire, we’ll have all these incredible stories and incredible memories, and yours will be right at the top of it all,” he remarked to Putin.

Ukraine briefly halted missile and drone strikes on Moscow between September 5 and 7 to ensure the safe passage of the US envoys' aircraft between the capitals. Russia similarly paused attacks during their visit to Kyiv. “Please come more often, so that our people have the chance to live normally,” Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy joked at a joint media conference.

However, immediately after Witkoff and Kushner departed, Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles on Kyiv, killing at least four civilians on September 8 and 9. Russia has demonstrated minimal willingness to pursue a genuine deal. Putin’s diplomatic aide, Valery Ushakov, informed the US envoys that Moscow remains firmly committed to achieving all its objectives in Ukraine.

“Russia intends to achieve the goals of the special military operation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov asserted on September 8. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev echoed these sentiments in Vedomosti newspaper two days later, stating, “Of course, we’re all interested in ending the conflict as quickly as possible. Moreover, it must end on our terms, in order to prevent the possibility of it recurring in the future or spreading into a global conflict,” while warning that “Nuclear weapons can be used in certain circumstances. This isn’t a scare tactic.”

In response, Zelenskyy has maintained that only battlefield leverage will compel Moscow to negotiate, stating, “Without a strong position on the ground, there will only be ultimatums.” Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Kyiv on the fourth anniversary of Ukraine’s Kharkiv offensive, which successfully reclaimed 11,500sq km of northern territory from Russian occupation. Subsequent military actions further reduced the footprint of Russian occupation.

Despite these dynamics, Russia has recently escalated its targeting of Ukrainian officials. On September 4, a drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s internal security service, the SBU, targeting the office of Head Oleksandr Poklad. Ukrainian defence adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov identified it as a jet-powered Geran-4 Russian drone. On September 8, another close call occurred when a Russian strike nearly hit Zelenskyy’s plane parked in Chisinau while transporting leaders to Oslo.

Simultaneously, Ukraine has continued its long-range drone operations, striking at least seven Russian oil refineries and gas condensate processing plants between September 4 and 10, including sites in the Siberian Arctic region of Yamalia. These strategic strikes have coincided with a growing Russian financial deficit driven by soaring military expenditures and declining energy revenues.