US President Donald Trump said on Friday he is sending his special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv with a plan to end more than four years of war in Ukraine. The announcement marks Washington's latest attempt to break a diplomatic stalemate in Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
According to a senior Ukrainian official who spoke to AFP, the envoys were due in Kyiv on Sunday. US outlet Axios reported that they would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday and then Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday. The Kremlin declined to comment, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later told reporters: "I wouldn't announce anything, but when these contacts take place, we will inform you."
Trump told reporters that the two negotiators would seek to gauge whether progress towards peace was possible. "I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, two great negotiators. They've done a great job, and we sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done. And there may be a good chance that we'll do it," Trump said. "They're bringing with them a proposal to end the war," he added. The US president would not say whether the plan involved Ukraine ceding territory, as he has previously suggested, but said: "We have an idea for peace."
The trip will be the first time Witkoff, a businessman and friend of Trump, and Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, have visited Kyiv since Trump returned to office last year. Both have been involved in negotiations for ceasefires in Gaza and Iran and have travelled repeatedly to Moscow in previous diplomatic efforts.
Russia's state news agency Tass, quoting a source, said Witkoff and Kushner were "expected to arrive in Moscow and then to Kyiv... on 5-6 September." Putin told an international economic forum on Thursday that "there are chances" a peace deal could be reached.
Strikes continue despite ceasefire offer
The renewed push for diplomacy comes as Russia and Ukraine continue to launch long-range missile and drone attacks against each other. Hours before Trump's announcement, a Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine's SBU security service in central Kyiv, according to Zelensky. The strike, which Zelensky said was aimed at the office of the agency's acting chief Oleksandr Poklad, was the first on the SBU headquarters since the start of the invasion. Poklad appears to have been unharmed.
In a post on social media, Zelensky said he had ordered Poklad to respond "adequately" to the attack. He later said Ukraine had determined the geography of its response, but did not specify when.
Despite the attack, Zelensky proposed observing a ceasefire with Russia for the duration of the US envoys' trip. "There will be no airstrikes on our part, and Russia must reciprocally ensure a ceasefire — without its own airstrikes — for the duration needed to conduct these talks," he said in his Friday evening address. Russia did not immediately comment on the proposal.
Zelensky had said on Wednesday that Russian airspace would be "completely unsafe" and filled with Ukrainian drones as long as Moscow continued its war. He also said on Saturday that Russia had hit airports in Kyiv and the nearby town of Boryspil ahead of the planned US visit, calling the strikes on the Telegram app "a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the U.S. side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine." He described the attacks as "Russian-Iranian Shaheds (drones) in response to American diplomacy."
Ukraine has kept its airspace closed since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022. However, Zelensky said officials had discussed the possibility of the US peace negotiators travelling by plane for their expected visit on Sunday.
Separately, Russia launched overnight strikes that killed four people and injured five in Kamianske in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, while drones also struck Kyiv and the surrounding region. The World Health Organization said the strike was the third attack affecting one of its warehouses in Ukraine in three months.
In a related development, Air Tanzania briefly suspended its Dar es Salaam-Moscow service on Friday, citing safety concerns amid a surge in Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia. Asian wheat buyers have also recently purchased at least 500,000 tonnes from Australia and Argentina to replace delayed Russian and Ukrainian shipments, according to trader estimates.
Broader context
The visit comes more than a week after CIA director John Ratcliffe made a rare trip to Moscow, during which he warned Russia against any attack on NATO member states, according to US media.
Peace efforts have stalled due to Washington's war with Iran, while Moscow and Kyiv have intensified long-range attacks, driving up civilian casualties to levels not seen since the start of fighting. The war has now entered its fifth year, with both sides showing little sign of backing down.
Zelensky confirmed he will meet the envoys on Sunday, and said he would guarantee the safety of Russian airspace during their visit while calling on Russia to do the same for Ukraine.
The upcoming talks are seen as a critical test of whether Washington can broker an end to the conflict, amid continued violence and deep mistrust between the parties.