Trump sends envoys Witkoff and Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv with peace proposal

Envoys schedule talks in Moscow and Kyiv

United States President Donald Trump announced the deployment of special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv to present a diplomatic proposal aimed at ending the war. The negotiators are scheduled to travel to Moscow on Saturday, 5 September 2026, for direct discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. Following their meetings in Russia, the delegation will arrive in Kyiv on Sunday, 6 September 2026, to confer with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump confirmed the mission during remarks to reporters in the Oval Office, stating that the envoys carry a proposal to resolve the conflict. When questioned about German accusations concerning Russian drone activity at Leipzig airport, Trump also reiterated his view that Russia will not attack NATO territory.

I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, two great negotiators. They did a great job and we sent them to see if we can do something. And there is a good chance that we will succeed.

Airspace guarantees and ground security

Ahead of the mission, Ukrainian officials conducted preparatory sessions with their diplomatic team to coordinate security measures with Washington. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukrainian forces will guarantee the safety of Russian airspace during the envoys' presence in Moscow by withholding air attacks, while urging Moscow to observe a reciprocal halt to air raids during the Kyiv meetings.

There will be no air strikes from our side. Russia should, on a reciprocal basis, guarantee quiet and refrain from air raids for the time necessary to conduct the talks and resolve logistical issues related to this American visit.

The diplomatic initiative comes as Kyiv experiences sustained aerial bombardment, with Friday marking the ninth consecutive day of Russian jet-powered drone strikes against the Ukrainian capital. Morning attacks damaged local warehouses and started fires, while an afternoon strike hit the office of the acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in central Kyiv. Kyiv Independent reported that Russian officials sought to discourage the delegation from visiting Kyiv on safety grounds, prompting earlier discussions regarding alternate arrangements.

Resumption of stalled peace negotiations

The planned visit will mark the first time that Witkoff and Kushner travel to Kyiv, although both negotiators have visited Moscow on multiple prior occasions to confer with Putin. Both envoys have participated in negotiation efforts since 2025, but formal talks were suspended between late February and early March 2026 following the outbreak of conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. An earlier trip planned for August 2026 was also postponed so that US diplomats could remain available during Middle Eastern hostilities.

Zelenskyy briefed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the itinerary following consultations with Ukrainian diplomats. The head of the Ukrainian President's Office, Kyrylo Budanov, told The New York Times that Ukraine must search for realistic ways to end the war, noting that a country cannot fight continuously. The mission follows a separate visit to Moscow on 25 August 2026 by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, during which Washington similarly asked Ukraine to pause strikes against the Russian capital.