US President Donald Trump confirmed that his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Moscow and Kyiv this weekend to seek to revive peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Witkoff, the White House's special envoy, and Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday, and later with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which will be the first meeting between the two negotiators and the Ukrainian leader.
Trump said the envoys are carrying a proposal to end the war, recalling that he did not receive the Nobel Peace Prize despite his efforts to end international conflicts. The US President acknowledged that he expected the war would be easier to resolve, but noted that Putin and Zelensky "deeply hate each other," which makes negotiations difficult.
The trip has been under negotiation for several weeks, according to US sources cited by The New York Times. Washington wants Ukraine and Russia to temporarily suspend attacks during the envoys' visit, an appeal that Zelensky also made today, proposing the suspension of aerial attacks. It is unclear whether the envoys will present a new peace proposal or will press to close outstanding issues, including control of the Donbas, territory in eastern Ukraine partially occupied by Russian forces.
The trip occurs a year after Trump received Putin in Alaska in August 2025, in an attempt to end the war, which was one of his campaign promises. That meeting ended without agreement. During this year, Ukraine has attacked Russian refineries and power plants, but faces shortages of ammunition to intercept Russian missiles. Trump is also trying to reintegrate Russia onto the international stage, having invited the country to participate in G20 finance ministers' meetings.
