---
title: "Crimean Tatar shashlik and summer salad: \"Ukrzaliznytsia\" reveals special menu for Trump's envoys in Kyiv"
description: "\"Ukrzaliznytsia\" has for the first time shown the special menu prepared for Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on their trip to Kyiv on September 6: instead of standard onboard catering, Trump's envoys tasted Bakhchysarai shashlik and a Crimean summer salad."
date: 2026-09-07T09:50:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/crimean-tatar-menu-for-vitkoff-and-kushner-on-ukrzaliznytsia
tags: [crimean-tatar-cuisine, ukrzaliznytsia, steve-witkoff, jared-kushner, ukraine-usa-diplomacy, special-train]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Crimean Tatar shashlik and summer salad: "Ukrzaliznytsia" reveals special menu for Trump's envoys in Kyiv

![Dish from UZ special menu for Trump's envoys: orange sauce topped with green onions, white beans, peas and herbs](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/07/krymskotatarskoe-menyu-dlya-vitkoffa-i-kushnera-v-ukrzaliznytsi/krymskotatarskoe-menyu-dlya-vitkoffa-i-kushnera-v-ukrzaliznytsi-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- "Ukrzaliznytsia" has published for the first time behind-the-scenes footage and the menu of the special train for the American delegation
- Witkoff and Kushner were served Crimean Tatar dishes on board: Bakhchysarai shashlik and a Crimean summer salad
- The visit took place on September 6, 2026, after negotiations in Moscow; in Kyiv the delegation met with Zelenskyy

On the evening of September 6, 2026, as the "Ukrzaliznytsia" special train carrying the American delegation approached Kyiv, the first-class carriage hosted a genuine gastronomic exhibition in place of the usual onboard catering. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — two key negotiators of U.S. President Donald Trump, who had arrived in the Ukrainian capital after a round of consultations in Moscow — were served not a standard set of snacks, but a selection of Crimean Tatar cuisine. This was reported on September 7 by the outlet Wave (RBC-Ukraine), citing the official Telegram channel of "Ukrzaliznytsia."
### Gastronomic diplomacy on the rails

According to data disclosed by the railway company, the menu for the special train was built around dishes from a Crimean Tatar restaurant. Among the items offered to the American representatives were Bakhchysarai shashlik and a Crimean summer salad — two dishes considered the calling cards of the culinary heritage of the Crimean Tatars. The published footage shows a dish generously garnished with herbs, cilantro, and green onions, served in a rich orange-red sauce, sprinkled with pine nuts and accented with bright red pepper — a typical presentation for Crimean Tatar cuisine.

### A first peek behind the scenes

"Ukrzaliznytsia" emphasized that this is the first time the company has publicly shown behind-the-scenes footage and the menu of a special train intended for U.S. representatives. Usually, the logistics and everyday details of moving high-ranking foreign delegations remain outside the open information field. The decision to publish photographs of the dishes and describe the menu can be seen as an element of soft information policy: a demonstration that even amid an ongoing conflict, Ukraine preserves and promotes its cultural identity, including through gastronomy.

### Visit context: from Moscow to talks with Zelenskyy

Witkoff's and Kushner's trip to Kyiv on September 6 was a continuation of their diplomatic route, which began with negotiations in Moscow. In the Ukrainian capital, the American representatives met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and held consultations on the next steps toward ending hostilities and establishing peace. The visit took place against the backdrop of ongoing international efforts to find a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, and the choice of a Crimean Tatar menu for the onboard catering of Trump's envoys was, in essence, a symbolic gesture: a reminder that Crimea and its multilingual, multi-ethnic heritage remain an integral part of Ukraine's cultural map.

### Contradictory data

No significant factual discrepancies between sources were found. Wave (RBC-Ukraine) and the "Ukrzaliznytsia" Telegram channel unanimously confirm the menu composition and the fact that the publication of the footage is a precedent. Korrespondent and 24tv confirm the very fact of Witkoff's and Kushner's arrival and subsequent departure from Kyiv by special train. The only thing that remains outside public confirmation is the exact name of the Crimean Tatar restaurant on which the onboard menu was based: it is not named in open materials.

Thus, a trip that, in its political content, was dedicated to discussing a peaceful settlement ended for the American negotiators with an introduction to one of the most distinctive culinary traditions of southern Ukraine — and perhaps became that very "soft" message that is not always conveyed in protocol transcripts.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Crimean Tatar cuisine: "Ukrzaliznytsia" shows special menu for Witkoff and Kushner](https://wave.rbc.ua/ukr/taste/krimskotatarska-kuhnya-ukrzaliznitsya-pokazala-1788773535.html) - Основной источник: состав меню (бахчисарайский шашлык, летний крымский салат), факт первой публикации кадров, ссылка на Telegram-канал «Укрзализныци»
- [Witkoff and Kushner leave Kyiv](https://korrespondent.net/ukraine/4909484-vytkoff-y-kushner-pokynuly-kyev) - Подтверждает факт пребывания и отъезда делегации из Киева
- [Witkoff and Kushner leave Ukraine by special train: what they were wished on their departure](https://24tv.ua/ru/vizit-vitkoffa-i-kushnera-v-kiev-na-specialnom-poezde-peregovory-s-budanovym-i-simvolicheskoe-vino_n3137026) - Подтверждает использование спецпоезда «Укрзализныци» для перемещения делегации
- [Kushner and Witkoff to arrive in Kyiv: media learn date of Trump negotiators' visit](https://www.obozrevatel.com/politics-news/kushner-i-vitkoff-pribudut-v-kiev-smi-uznali-datu-vizita-spetsialnyih-poslannikov-trampa.htm) - Подтверждает дату и контекст визита переговорщиков Трампа

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Which specific Crimean Tatar dishes were offered to Witkoff and Kushner on the train?
**A:** Among the items offered were Bakhchysarai shashlik and a Crimean summer salad. The menu was built around dishes from a Crimean Tatar restaurant, although its exact name is not specified in open materials.

### Q: When did Witkoff's and Kushner's visit to Kyiv take place?
**A:** The American representatives arrived in Kyiv on September 6, 2026, on a "Ukrzaliznytsia" special train after negotiations in Moscow and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

### Q: Why did "Ukrzaliznytsia" publish footage of the menu?
**A:** The company noted that this is the first time it has publicly shown behind-the-scenes footage and the menu of a special train for U.S. representatives. The publication was a precedent for the railway company.

### Q: What was the purpose of Witkoff's and Kushner's visit to Kyiv?
**A:** The delegation discussed with President Zelenskyy the next steps toward ending the war and establishing peace in Ukraine.