Trump sends envoys Witkoff and Kushner to Ukraine and Russia in bid to end war

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Russia and Ukraine this weekend to help restart peace negotiations.

Published On 4 Sep 20264 Sep 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are traveling this weekend to attempt to revive peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.

During a White House briefing on Friday, Trump said the envoys, who are preparing to visit Kyiv and Moscow, are carrying a proposal aimed at ending the conflict.

“I have dispatched Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner … to see whether we can achieve something,” Trump stated. “There is a good chance we will succeed.”

He added, “We have a peace concept,” without detailing specifics of the administration’s plan.

Russian news agency TASS reports that Witkoff and Kushner will be in Moscow on Saturday and Sunday, marking their first visit since January.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the envoys will also be in Ukraine on Sunday, their first trip since Trump’s return to office.

President Vladimir Putin of Russia recently described negotiations as “frozen.” Meanwhile, both sides have escalated attacks, with Russia striking Ukraine’s security service headquarters on Friday.

At least 12 people were injured in the attack, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

Al Jazeera’s Audrey MacAlpine, reporting from Kyiv, noted that while the SBU building’s hit was not surprising, it heightened concerns about future targets.

“It’s not so much that people never expected the SBU to be hit, but it really raises the question of if Russia can hit this, what else can it hit?” she observed. “Some locals speculate the assault may be intended to deter the upcoming visits by the U.S. envoys.”

Trump told reporters on Friday that a settlement in the over‑four‑year war has remained elusive due to what he described as a “personality problem” between the two leaders.

“President Zelenskyy and President Putin truly hate each other,” Trump remarked. “Their deep animosity is obstructing progress.”

According to a July study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the conflict has resulted in roughly 450,000 Russian deaths and an estimated 125,000–150,000 Ukrainian fatalities.

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