US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Moscow and Kyiv to restart peace talks

Planned weekend mission to Moscow and Kyiv

United States envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend of 5 and 6 September 2026 to resume peace mediation between Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that preliminary dates have been arranged following communications with the US delegation. The mission will mark the first time Witkoff, a New York real estate investor, and Kushner, a businessman and son-in-law to President Donald Trump, visit Kyiv since Trump assumed his second presidential term in January 2025.

Ukrainian officials had previously expressed concern that US negotiators held multiple rounds of talks in Moscow without making a corresponding visit to Kyiv. In his daily address, Zelensky confirmed the impending travel itinerary:

We are waiting for the US president's envoys to come to Kyiv. We received confirmation from them: they will hold meetings in Moscow and Kyiv. We expect a meeting in the coming days.

Diplomatic contacts resume after Middle East pause

The weekend visits follow a six-month suspension of US-led mediation efforts. Witkoff and Kushner last travelled to Moscow in January 2026 for a late-night meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, and formal US-mediated discussions concluded in February 2026. Bilateral mediation stalled on 28 February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran, shifting Washington's foreign policy focus toward the Middle East.

Diplomatic dialogue began to restart in late July 2026, when Zelensky held a telephone call with Witkoff and Kushner to explore avenues for restarting talks.

Divergent demands and summit proposals

The renewal of envoy travel occurs alongside continuing differences over the terms required to end the conflict that began with Russia's full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022. Speaking at an economic forum, Putin indicated that a diplomatic resolution remains feasible with external backing:

Ultimately, however, the problem must be resolved by the countries involved in the conflict - Russia and Ukraine. We are grateful to all who are trying to contribute to a solution. Is there any possibility? In my opinion, yes, there is.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that Moscow maintains its territorial demands, requiring Ukraine to cede four partially occupied regions and renounce its ambitions to join NATO. Ukraine continues to reject any territorial concessions. The Kremlin has also turned down a joint proposal by Ukraine and the United States for a trilateral summit bringing together Trump, Putin, and Zelensky, while refusing calls for an immediate ceasefire.

Travel arrangements and itinerary negotiations

Discussions regarding the Ukrainian leg of the trip remain subject to ongoing arrangements between negotiating teams. A source familiar with the planning indicated that officials have identified Sunday as a target date for the Kyiv meetings, while reporting that Russian representatives have sought to dissuade the envoys from visiting the Ukrainian capital. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to announce official dates ahead of time, stating that details will be released once the meetings take place.