US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are scheduled to visit Russia and Ukraine over the weekend in an effort to revive negotiations between the two countries. The envoys are expected to travel to Moscow in Russia and Kyiv in Ukraine.
Sunday is emerging as a possible date for the Ukraine visit, but the schedule has not yet been finalized. Plans for the envoys to reach Kyiv by air are also under discussion because the airspace over the capital is closed. No final decision has been made on whether the visit will be canceled.
Peskov does not confirm visit schedule
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov neither confirmed nor denied plans for Witkoff and Kushner to visit. Peskov said officials would provide detailed information when the contacts take place.
The latest round of US-mediated talks in Russia took place in February. During Witkoff and Kushner’s last visit to Russia in January, they held a roughly four-hour overnight meeting with Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin.
In June, Peskov said the two envoys were occupied with other matters at the time and that talks would resume when they were available. Putin also said this week that they were pleased to work with Witkoff and Kushner and that the two envoys would always be welcome in Moscow.
Kyiv visit could mark first contact
The plan remains uncertain because Russia has not pledged to suspend attacks during the visit. If it takes place, the Ukraine visit would be Witkoff and Kushner’s first trip to Kyiv since peace talks began under the US administration.
Zelenskyy expects meetings in Moscow and Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he expects the envoys to hold meetings in Moscow and Kyiv in the coming days. Zelenskyy said active US participation in the process was important.
The new effort to establish contact comes after the Kremlin described the negotiations as having been in a “deep pause” for a long time. Disagreements between Russia and Ukraine continue, while both sides have intensified their attacks in recent weeks, causing extensive damage to commercial and industrial infrastructure.
Putin continues to demand that Ukraine give up more territory as part of a peace agreement. Ukraine rejects those terms on the grounds that they would amount to surrender.
On Thursday, Putin said there was a “chance” of reaching an agreement to end the war in Ukraine. However, it remains unclear whether the planned visits will take place and whether a new round of negotiations will begin.
