US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are travelling to Ukraine and Russia this weekend in an effort to revive peace negotiations, President Donald Trump said Friday.
Trump said the envoys would bring an idea for peace and a proposal to “end the war”, but he did not disclose details of the administration’s plan. The visits are expected to include Kyiv on Sunday and Moscow on Saturday and Sunday.
What Trump says the envoys will do
Trump said he sent Witkoff and his son-in-law Kushner to determine whether progress could be made, adding that there might be a good chance of an agreement. He also blamed the lack of a peace deal on hostility between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. For additional context, see “Trump Pauses Attacks on Iran as Talks of a Deal Emerge”.
No specific terms for the proposed peace plan were announced. The planned travel therefore represents an attempt to restart negotiations, not a completed agreement.
What we know now
- The visits would be Witkoff and Kushner’s first trip to Moscow since January.
- Kushner’s planned visit to Ukraine would be his first since Trump returned to power.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin recently said negotiations were “frozen”.
The planned diplomacy comes amid continued attacks
The expected talks are taking place as Russia and Ukraine continue to increase air attacks. Russia struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s SBU security services on Friday, injuring at least 12 people, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. A related part of this story is covered in “How Russia’s missile attacks are deepening Ukraine’s air-defence crisis”.
A July study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that Russia had suffered about 450,000 fatalities in the war, while Ukraine’s fatalities were estimated at between 125,000 and 150,000.
What happens next
Witkoff and Kushner are expected to travel to Moscow on Saturday and Sunday and to Ukraine on Sunday, according to the reported schedules. The development of this issue can be followed in “Zelenskyy calls Kyiv spy-service shootout ‘absolutely shameful’”.
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