US President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, have arrived in Moscow to discuss a proposed plan to end more than four years of war in Ukraine, as Russian strikes hit Kyiv’s airports and other targets amid the renewed diplomatic push.
The two US negotiators landed in Moscow on Saturday at about 12:52 pm local time, according to Russian agencies, with talks expected to focus on whether meaningful progress can be made towards ending the conflict. They are expected to travel to Kyiv after their meetings in Moscow.
The timing of the visit has heightened tensions, however, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian strikes targeted Kyiv’s two airports overnight.
Zelensky also said a Russian strike on a civilian target in the Dnipro region killed four people, while five others were wounded in the southeastern city of Kamianske.
The Ukrainian president accused Moscow of attempting to disrupt the US diplomatic mission, saying the attacks appeared to be connected to preparations for the possibility of the American envoys travelling to Ukraine by aircraft.
Zelensky said Ukraine would ensure that its military operations posed no threat to diplomacy and proposed that both sides observe a temporary ceasefire for the duration of the envoys’ visit.
“There will be no airstrikes on our part,” Zelensky said, calling on Russia to reciprocate and suspend its own airstrikes while the talks take place.
Russia had not immediately responded to the ceasefire proposal.
Witkoff and Kushner’s visit is significant as it marks their first reported trip to war-torn Kyiv since Trump returned to office with a pledge to resolve the conflict.
A possible flight to Kyiv would also be unusual because Ukrainian airspace has remained closed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Foreign leaders and senior officials visiting the Ukrainian capital have generally travelled by train.
The envoys are expected to arrive in Kyiv on Sunday, according to a senior Ukrainian official, while US media reported that they were scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Trump said Witkoff and Kushner were travelling with a proposal aimed at ending the war and determining whether a path towards peace remained possible.
“I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, two great negotiators,” Trump told reporters, expressing optimism that the mission could produce progress.
The US president did not disclose whether the proposal would require Ukraine to surrender territory, an issue that has remained one of the most difficult points in previous peace discussions.
Witkoff and Kushner have previously played roles in US-led negotiations involving ceasefires in Gaza and Iran and have made several trips to Moscow during earlier diplomatic efforts.
Grinding War Continues
The renewed diplomatic effort comes as Russia and Ukraine continue to exchange long-range missile and drone attacks, with civilian casualties rising amid the grinding conflict.
Hours before Trump announced the latest diplomatic mission, a Russian drone reportedly struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s SBU security service in central Kyiv. Zelensky said the attack targeted the office of the agency’s acting chief and represented the first strike on the headquarters since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Despite the escalation, Zelensky called for restraint during the US envoys’ mission, saying Ukraine was prepared to adjust its air operations to ensure diplomacy was not threatened.
The latest developments underscore the difficult balance facing the new peace initiative: American negotiators are attempting to create a path towards negotiations even as Russia and Ukraine continue to trade attacks on the battlefield.
The US diplomatic mission therefore comes at a critical moment, with hopes for a breakthrough now unfolding against the backdrop of continued strikes, civilian deaths and deep disagreement over how the war can finally end.
