The Trump administration envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to visit Russia and Ukraine in the latest push for resuming peace talks.
As reported by Russian news agency TASS, cited by a source, the US negotiators will visit Moscow and Kyiv on Saturday and Sunday.
Earlier, Kushner and Witkoff have spearheaded efforts to mediate a Ukraine peace deal. However, there is no immediate confirmation from the White House.
US negotiators are reportedly eyeing a September 6 trip to Kyiv for their first-ever visit to the Ukrainian capital, though the Kremlin is actively trying to block the move.
“If they come, it would be their first visit to Kyiv.”
“The Russians don’t want them to visit Kyiv and are trying to make them change the plan,” the source added.
Earlier, this January the pair held a four-hour late-night meeting with President Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. According to a source familiar with the situation, discussions regarding a delegation traveling to Ukraine remain ongoing.
The announcement comes after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared on Thursday that US negotiators will soon visit Kyiv and Moscow to resume negotiations.
Zelenskyy said, “We expect to see representatives of the US president here in Kyiv.”
“There will be a meeting with them in Moscow and in Kyiv. We are expecting a meeting with them in the coming days. It is very important. It is important that America continues to be active.”
Speaking at an economic forum in Russia’s Far East, Putin talked of a chance for a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine,
“Ultimately, however, the problem must be resolved by the countries involved in the conflict — Russia and Ukraine. We are grateful to everyone attempting to contribute to a settlement. Is there a chance? In my view, yes, there is.”
When asked about the difficulties, Putin said Ukrainian blatant attacks on “civilian merchant ships” and “reported threats of attacks on civilian aircraft” complicates the prospects for bilateral peace talks.
A massive deadlock persists between Moscow and Kyiv regarding how to resolve the four-and-a-half-year conflict.
Putin continues to demand further territorial concessions from Ukraine, while Kyiv firmly rejects terms it views as equivalent to surrender.
