WASHINGTON, September 5, 2026: US President Donald Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Moscow and Kyiv this weekend as Washington makes a fresh attempt to revive negotiations aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
The planned diplomatic mission comes after months of limited progress in US-mediated efforts to bring Russia and Ukraine closer to a peace agreement.
Meetings With Putin and Zelensky
According to reports, Witkoff and Kushner are expected to travel to Moscow on Saturday, September 5, where they are due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. They are then expected to travel to Kyiv on Sunday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Kyiv visit would be particularly significant because it would mark Witkoff and Kushner’s first visit to Ukraine since Trump returned to the White House. The two envoys previously met Putin in Moscow in January.
Trump said the envoys would take a new proposal to end the war, although the administration has not publicly released the full details of the plan. Trump expressed optimism that the talks could produce progress.
Security Concerns
The planned visits are taking place against the backdrop of continued Russian and Ukrainian attacks.
Reuters reported that US officials were seeking security assurances from both sides before the envoys travel. Washington has reportedly asked Ukraine to refrain from strikes on Moscow during the visit, while Russia would be expected to avoid attacks on Kyiv.
The security concerns intensified after a Russian drone strike hit the headquarters of Ukraine’s SBU security service in Kyiv on Friday, September 4. The attack caused damage and injuries in the Ukrainian capital.
Major Differences Remain
Despite the renewed diplomatic effort, Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on the terms of a potential settlement.
The Kremlin has maintained that Ukraine should give up territory claimed by Russia and abandon its ambitions to join NATO. Kyiv has rejected such demands, arguing that surrendering territory would amount to capitulation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently suggested that there is still a possibility of reaching an agreement, but Ukrainian officials remain deeply skeptical about Moscow’s intentions.
A New Push for Peace
The US-mediated negotiations had largely stalled after the last round of talks in February, before Washington and Israel became involved in the conflict with Iran. The planned Moscow-Kyiv mission therefore represents one of the most significant attempts in months to restart direct diplomatic momentum.
For Washington, the immediate challenge will be determining whether Russia is willing to compromise enough to allow negotiations to move forward, while also securing Ukraine’s agreement to any potential framework.
The outcome of Witkoff and Kushner’s meetings could determine whether the latest US peace initiative develops into substantive negotiations—or whether the deep divisions between Moscow and Kyiv continue to block a settlement.
