Two of US President Donald Trump's top envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, arrived in Moscow on Saturday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on ending more than four years of war in Ukraine. The visit is part of Washington's latest push to revive peace negotiations, with the envoys expected to travel to Kyiv on Sunday.

Putin met Witkoff and Kushner at the Kremlin, where he welcomed them in footage aired by Russian TV: "Dear colleagues, I warmly welcome you to Moscow. The situation is, of course, not simple." He also asked them to convey his "best wishes and words of gratitude" to President Trump.

Trump had said on Friday that the pair were "bringing with them a proposal to end the war." US news outlet Axios reported that the envoys would separately meet Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Kremlin declined to comment on the reported meetings.

This is not the first time Witkoff and Kushner have visited Moscow on such a mission; they have traveled there multiple times since Trump returned to office. However, Sunday would be their first visit to Kyiv.

In a rare gesture, both sides agreed to refrain from striking each other's capitals for three days during the negotiations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had ordered a halt to strikes on Kyiv from midnight Saturday. Zelensky said on social media that Ukraine was ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow through Monday.

Despite the diplomatic activity, Russia expressed pessimism about the prospects of a deal, with people close to the Kremlin saying expectations are extremely low. According to these sources, Putin is ready to stop the war only on his terms, and Russia's demands are getting tougher because it believes it has the military advantage.

Zelensky accused Russia of trying to disrupt the envoys' visit with overnight strikes on Kyiv's two airports. "Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine," he said on X. He also reported a strike on a civilian target in the Dnipro region that killed five people. Russian strikes on Saturday killed at least seven people across Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials.

The visit comes just over a week after CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a rare trip to Moscow. Trump described that meeting as "semi-routine." Axios reported that Ratcliffe's discussions included whether Russian intelligence officials believed they could persuade Putin to pursue diplomacy.

Peace efforts have stalled in recent months, partly due to Washington's conflict with Iran. Both Moscow and Kyiv have intensified long-range attacks, driving up civilian casualties to levels not seen since the start of the war in February 2022.

Former diplomat and security expert Jane Hardy, of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told The i Paper that Trump's sudden diplomatic push was "unusual" and fits his playbook as a "master of distraction," citing a trade war with Canada, tensions with European leaders, and domestic economic concerns. She warned that "no one on the Western side or on the Ukraine side would believe a Russian ceasefire would hold."

Hardy also suggested that offering the Kremlin relief from oil sanctions could be part of the talks, given Russia's reliance on energy exports. However, there has been no official confirmation of such a proposal.

Kushner and Witkoff have presented several plans to end the war in the past, some of which drew criticism for appearing to favor Russia, while others were dismissed by Putin as non-starters. Ukraine has said it is open to an unconditional ceasefire but rejects any plan involving ceding territory to Russia. The Kremlin has demanded Ukraine give up large areas in the east and recognize Russian sovereignty.

Key disagreements remain on territory and security guarantees for Ukraine. A previous round of talks, including discussions in Paris, ended without a breakthrough.

Ukrainian airspace has been closed since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Zelensky said he would guarantee the safety of Russian airspace during the envoys' visit and called on Russia to do the same for Ukraine.