US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to travel to Russia and Ukraine this weekend, according to reports, as diplomatic efforts to end the war intensify.
The envoys are scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday, followed by talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday, as reported by Axios citing US officials.
Witkoff and Kushner have spearheaded former President Donald Trump’s efforts to facilitate a peace agreement, yet a wide gap remains between Russia and Ukraine.
Earlier Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that a Russian drone struck the office of security chief Oleksandr Poklad in Kyiv, though Poklad is believed to be unharmed.
In a social media post, Zelensky stated that he had instructed Poklad, the head of the SBU security service, to respond “appropriately” to the incident.
Witkoff and Kushner, who is Trump’s son-in-law, have made several visits to Russia, but these anticipated talks would mark their first meetings in Ukraine.
On Thursday, Zelensky announced that “tentative dates have been established” for the US envoys’ arrival in Kyiv “in the coming days.”
However, Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko indicated that the duo is expected in Kyiv on Sunday, following their Saturday meeting in Moscow.
Russia’s state news agency TASS reported that Witkoff and Kushner are “expected to arrive in Moscow and then Kyiv on September 5-6,” citing a source.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later told reporters, “I wouldn’t announce anything, but we will inform you when these contacts occur.”
Meanwhile, at an international economic forum on Thursday, Putin stated that “there are opportunities” for a peace deal to be achieved.
“First and foremost, Moscow and Kyiv must reach an agreement among themselves,” he emphasized.
However, he demonstrated no willingness to compromise on his maximalist demands, which include further territorial concessions from Ukraine.
Kyiv and its European allies have consistently rejected Putin’s terms, describing them as equivalent to capitulation.
Russia initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and currently controls approximately 20% of the country’s territory.
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