Two of US President Donald Trump’s senior diplomatic envoys have arrived in Moscow for high-level discussions aimed at accelerating efforts to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, with the American delegation expected to travel to Kyiv afterward for separate talks with Ukrainian officials.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in the Russian capital ahead of a crucial weekend of diplomacy as Washington attempts to revive negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. The visit comes amid continued fighting and an intensification of aerial attacks by both sides, with previous US-led efforts to broker a lasting peace agreement failing to produce a decisive breakthrough.
President Trump said on Friday that Witkoff and Kushner were travelling with a proposal intended to help bring the conflict to an end.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said the two envoys were “bringing with them a proposal to end the war”, raising expectations that Washington could present a new framework designed to overcome some of the major disagreements that have prevented Russia and Ukraine from reaching an agreement.
The US administration has spent months attempting to persuade both sides to move closer to a negotiated settlement. However, fundamental disputes over territory, security guarantees and the future political and military relationship between Ukraine and Russia remain unresolved.
As the US delegation began its diplomatic mission, Russia and Ukraine both agreed to temporarily halt attacks on each other’s capitals for three days while the American envoys conduct their meetings.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that he had already spoken with Witkoff and Kushner and confirmed that the American team had begun discussions with Russian representatives.
“The plan for tomorrow’s diplomatic engagements in Kyiv, involving the US team, has been approved. We are waiting for Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and are ready for a substantive conversation,” Zelensky said.
He added that Ukraine was prepared to refrain from carrying out attacks against Moscow during the period surrounding the diplomatic visit.
“From now through the end of Saturday, as well as on Sunday and Monday, Ukraine is ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow, and we expect the Russians to do the same regarding Kyiv,” he said.
Russian state media reported that President Vladimir Putin had ordered a temporary suspension of Russian strikes against Kyiv for three days because of the visit by the American delegation.
Witkoff and Kushner were photographed after arriving at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport, where they were welcomed by Russian official Kirill Dmitriev. Their arrival marked another significant attempt by Washington to engage directly with Russian officials over a potential pathway toward ending the conflict.
Flight-tracking information indicated that a US government aircraft had travelled to Moscow after first flying from the United States to Helsinki, Finland, earlier in the day.
According to US news outlet Axios, Witkoff and Kushner are expected to hold separate meetings with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as part of the latest diplomatic effort.
Although both American envoys have travelled to Russia several times during the course of Trump’s efforts to establish negotiations, Sunday’s discussions would mark their first diplomatic visit to Ukraine.
Ukrainian delegations, meanwhile, have travelled to the United States for discussions with American officials several times over the past 18 months as Washington has attempted to establish a framework acceptable to both Kyiv and Moscow.
The diplomatic mission is taking place against a backdrop of continuing military strikes.
Earlier on Saturday, Zelensky accused Russia of carrying out what he described as “demonstrative” attacks against airports in and around Kyiv and Boryspil during the night, suggesting that the strikes were connected to preparations for the arrival of the US delegation.
Zelensky said the timing of the attacks appeared significant because of discussions about the possibility of the American delegation travelling to Ukraine by aircraft.
“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 and land at Kyiv Airport or Boryspil Airport,” the Ukrainian president said.
Ukraine’s airspace has remained closed to civilian and international air traffic since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. As a result, any visit by senior foreign officials requires careful security and logistical planning.
Zelensky had previously said on Friday that Ukraine would guarantee the safety of Russian airspace during the period covered by the temporary truce and called on Moscow to provide a similar guarantee for Ukrainian airspace.
The Ukrainian president also reported further Russian attacks elsewhere in the country.
According to Zelensky, an overnight Russian strike on a civilian building in the Dnipro region killed four people and left another five injured. The incident highlighted the continued human cost of the war even as diplomatic efforts intensify.
The Moscow visit by Witkoff and Kushner comes slightly more than a week after CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a rare trip to the Russian capital.
The visit by the head of the US intelligence agency generated considerable attention because of the limited direct engagement between senior American and Russian officials since the beginning of the full-scale war.
Neither Washington nor the Kremlin provided an official account of the issues discussed during Ratcliffe’s visit.
Trump later characterized the meeting as “semi-routine”, without providing further details about the discussions or whether they had produced any significant progress toward negotiations.
The latest diplomatic initiative follows a period last year when hopes for a peace agreement appeared to rise.
The United States, Ukraine and Russia separately indicated that negotiations could be moving closer to a potential agreement following a series of talks facilitated by American officials.
European governments also became involved in the diplomatic process, with allies holding discussions in Paris in an attempt to help narrow the differences between Kyiv and Moscow.
However, despite the intensive diplomatic activity, negotiations ultimately failed to produce a breakthrough.
Major disagreements remain over several critical issues, particularly the question of territory and the security guarantees that would be required for Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine continue to hold significantly different positions on the future status of territories affected by the war. Kyiv has insisted on the protection of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, while Moscow has maintained demands that Ukraine and its Western allies have rejected.
Security guarantees are another major obstacle.
Ukraine has sought firm commitments that would protect it from future Russian aggression, while Russia has objected to arrangements that could strengthen Ukraine’s military relationship with Western countries or expand the role of NATO in the region.
These disagreements have made it difficult for negotiators to transform diplomatic discussions into a comprehensive peace agreement.
Meanwhile, military operations have continued with both Russia and Ukraine stepping up their aerial campaigns in recent months.
Ukraine has said that it is facing difficulties defending its cities and critical infrastructure because of shortages of interceptor missiles needed to counter Russian drones and missile attacks.
The Ukrainian military has repeatedly appealed to its Western partners for additional air-defence systems and interceptor missiles as Russian attacks have continued to target energy facilities, infrastructure and urban areas.
At the same time, Kyiv has intensified its own attacks against Russian targets.
Ukrainian forces have increasingly focused on economic infrastructure and facilities that support Russia’s war effort, seeking to disrupt Moscow’s ability to finance and sustain its military operations.
The continuing exchange of long-range strikes has added urgency to the latest US diplomatic effort.
Washington is now attempting to persuade both sides to use the temporary reduction in attacks around the capitals as an opportunity to advance negotiations rather than allowing the pause to become another short-lived interruption in the fighting.
The arrival of Witkoff and Kushner in Moscow therefore represents a significant test of the Trump administration’s strategy for ending the war.
Their discussions with Russian officials could provide an indication of whether Moscow is willing to consider new proposals from Washington, while their subsequent visit to Kyiv is expected to reveal whether the Ukrainian government views the proposed framework as acceptable.
For Zelensky, maintaining Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty and securing credible guarantees against another Russian invasion remain central priorities.
For Moscow, issues surrounding territory, Ukraine’s military alignment and Russia’s broader security demands are likely to remain key elements of any negotiation.
The diplomatic process is therefore taking place amid substantial uncertainty.
While the Trump administration has expressed confidence that negotiations can eventually produce an agreement, previous rounds of talks have demonstrated how difficult it will be to reconcile the positions of Russia and Ukraine.
The temporary pause in strikes against Moscow and Kyiv could provide a limited window for diplomacy, but it remains unclear whether the arrangement will lead to a broader cessation of hostilities.
The coming days are expected to be closely watched in Washington, Moscow and Kyiv as Witkoff and Kushner attempt to determine whether a new American proposal can overcome the obstacles that have repeatedly stalled peace efforts.
With the war continuing into another prolonged phase and both sides maintaining pressure on the battlefield, the latest diplomatic mission could become one of the most important attempts yet to establish a pathway toward negotiations.
For now, all eyes are on the discussions in Moscow and the planned meetings in Kyiv, where the US delegation will attempt to bring Russia and Ukraine closer to a potential settlement after months of failed efforts and continuing military escalation.
