US President Donald Trump has announced that his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, will travel to Moscow and then to Kiev, in a new effort to revive negotiations and end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump said the two American negotiators would bring with them a concrete peace proposal, but did not provide details on the content of the plan. "We have an idea for peace," the US president declared, describing Witkoff and Kushner as "great negotiators" and expressing belief that there is a good chance of reaching an agreement.
According to the announced plan, Witkoff and Kushner are expected to meet first with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and then travel to Kiev, where they will hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The visit to the Ukrainian capital would be the first for the two US envoys since Trump returned to the White House. Zelensky has confirmed that the meeting in Kiev is expected to take place on Sunday.
Trump also linked the difficulty of reaching an agreement to the strained personal relations between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine. According to him, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky "really hate each other," arguing that this mutual hostility makes progress towards a peace agreement even more difficult.
The mission of the two American envoys comes at a critical moment, as previous mediation efforts have failed to yield concrete results. Negotiations brokered by the Trump administration were suspended in February, while in recent months Witkoff and Kushner have been in contact with the parties, but without reaching an agreement.
At the same time, the fighting continues. Just a day before the US diplomatic mission, a Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine's Security Service in Kiev, injuring 12 people, according to Ukrainian authorities. The attack underscores the difficulty of diplomatic efforts at a time when the military conflict remains active.
The details of the American proposal have not been made public, and it remains unclear whether Moscow and Kiev will accept it as a basis for negotiations. Meanwhile, differences between the sides remain large, especially over occupied territories and the conditions for ending the war.
Despite the optimism expressed by Trump, the outcome of Witkoff and Kushner's mission remains uncertain, as both sides continue to have different positions on how a final peace agreement should be reached.
