US envoys Witkoff and Kushner head to Moscow and Kyiv for Ukraine peace talks

Mission itinerary and objectives

US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law to US President Donald Trump, will travel to Moscow on Saturday before heading to Kyiv on Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the schedule in a Friday video address, noting that this trip marks the first time both negotiators will travel to Kyiv during the war. Trump confirmed dispatching both envoys during a press briefing at the White House, explaining that they carry a proposal intended to end the conflict that has lasted over four and a half years. Zelensky stated that the goal of the discussions is to ensure a constructive, substantive meeting with the American delegation to work toward concluding the war.

We sent them over there to see if we can get something done.

Airspace safety and security assurances

Arranging the weekend diplomatic visits required weeks of negotiation between the involved governments. According to officials cited by The New York Times, Washington requested that Ukrainian forces pause drone strikes on Moscow and Russian energy infrastructure while the US delegation remains in Russia. In return, Washington asked Russia to halt missile and drone strikes targeting Kyiv during the delegation's presence there. Zelensky announced that Ukraine will guarantee the safe operation of Russian airspace for the flight of the US envoys by withholding all Ukrainian air attacks. Zelensky added that Ukrainian authorities expect Russia to respond in a mirror-image fashion by suspending its own strikes.

Preconditions and territorial disputes

Direct diplomatic efforts led by the Trump administration had been on hold for several months as Washington focused its attention on the war against Iran. Witkoff and Kushner previously visited Moscow multiple times since 2025 but had not visited Kyiv for negotiations. During their last visit to Moscow in January, both envoys met Russian President Vladimir Putin for discussions. Following that January meeting, Russian presidential foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov commented on the diplomatic outlook.

A long-term solution cannot be expected as long as the territorial question is not resolved.

Moscow continues to insist on the total withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the entire Donbas region, an area Russia annexed without establishing full military control. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to confirm the exact schedule on Friday, telling the Tass state news agency that official details will appear only if contacts take place.

Security context in the Ukrainian capital

The diplomatic initiative follows days of sustained Russian aerial bombardment across the Ukrainian capital. On Thursday, municipal authorities in Kyiv reported fire and damage to warehouse facilities following drone strikes. On Friday, Ukrainian officials confirmed that a drone struck the headquarters of the Security Service of Ukraine, known as the SBU, in Kyiv. A report from Reuters cited an informed source noting concerns from Witkoff regarding security conditions, while The Kyiv Independent cited claims of warnings originating from Russia. Broadcaster RBC, CNN, and Axios reported that the envoys intend to proceed, scheduling discussions with Putin on Saturday and Zelensky on Sunday.