Most Dangerous Countries See US Envoys in Moscow Push to End Ukraine War
In the most dangerous countries at the center of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on September 5, 2026, to present a proposal aimed at ending the war. [1] [3] Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, described by Trump as great negotiators, are expected to travel to Kyiv on Sunday after meetings in Moscow. [1] [5]
US Envoys Arrive in Moscow With Peace Proposal
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner landed in Moscow on Saturday to discuss proposals to end more than four years of war between Russia and Ukraine. [1] After talks in Moscow, the pair are expected to travel to Kyiv as part of Washington's latest bid to break a diplomatic stalemate. [1] It will be the first time that Trump's businessman friend Witkoff and son-in-law Kushner have visited Kyiv since Trump returned to office last year with a pledge to resolve the conflict. [1] Trump told reporters the envoys would seek to gauge whether progress towards peace was possible. [1] Trump hailed Witkoff and Kushner as great negotiators. [1] "They've done a great job," he added. [1] "And we sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done. And there may be a good chance that we'll do it," Trump said. [1] "They're bringing with them a proposal to end the war." [1] Witkoff and Kushner, who have been involved in negotiations for ceasefires in Gaza and Iran, have travelled repeatedly to Moscow in previous attempts to achieve a diplomatic solution. [1] Their visit comes after a trip to Moscow last month by CIA director John Ratcliffe, who warned Russia against any attack on NATO member states, according to US media. [1] US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday to try to revive a stalled push to end Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian state news outlets reported. [2] U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, are visiting Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend in an effort to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, President Donald Trump said Friday. [3] "We have an idea for peace," Trump told reporters on Friday. [3] "I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, two great negotiators. They've done a great job, and we sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done. And there may be a good chance that we'll do it," he said. [3] Kirill Dmitriev, one of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's envoys, has confirmed that US President Donald Trump's representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on 5 September. [5] The US envoys are expected to meet Putin on 5 September, before making their first visit to Kyiv on 6 September. [5] Trump said Witkoff and Kushner were taking a "proposal to end the war" to Moscow and Kyiv. [5]
Putin's Three-Day Ceasefire Order for Kyiv
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrive in Moscow for Ukraine peace talks. — Source: france24 Before meeting Witkoff and Kushner, Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, ordered a three-day halt in Moscow's strikes on Kyiv to allow the US delegation to hold talks there. [1] "The Russian president, the commander-in-chief, has given the order from midnight tonight not to strike Kyiv for three days," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. [1] He said the move was linked to the preparation and conduct of talks by American negotiators in Kyiv. [1] Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a 72-hour pause in strikes on Kyiv, the Kremlin said Saturday, as U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow to try to revive a stalled push to end Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. [4] Putin Orders 72-Hour Kyiv Strike Pause as US Envoys Visit. [4]
Zelensky's Accusations of Russian Strikes Ahead of Visit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of trying to disrupt the envoys' visit with strikes on Friday night on Kyiv's two airports, as well as on a civilian target in the Dnipro region that killed five people. [1] "Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine," Zelensky said on social media. [1] Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy confirmed the news in a post on X. [3] "Today, it has been clearly established that U.S. envoys will be in Ukraine and Russia in the coming days. We have the details from the U.S. President’s team. We discussed today that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Moscow and then Kyiv on Sunday. We are preparing for the visit," Zelenskyy wrote. [3] Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine will work to keep Russian airspace safe during the Americans’ visit. [3] "Just as we did during previous diplomatic visits by the American side, we will ensure the normal functioning of Russian airspace so that the negotiators can arrive safely. We are looking out for them, not for Russia. There will be no air strikes from our side, and Russia must do the same, ensuring there are no air strikes from its side for the time needed to hold these talks and handle the logistical matters related to this American visit," he wrote on X. [3] "Our goal is to make the visit and the talks with the U.S. side as constructive and substantive as possible. We need to look for real options for how to move this war toward an end. We will see what proposals Steve and Jared bring and what they are told in Moscow in response," the Ukrainian president concluded. [3] On the evening of 4 September, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Witkoff and Kushner would visit Kyiv over the weekend. [5] He stressed that Ukraine would not strike Russia on those days and expected Moscow to take reciprocal steps. [5]
Planned Travel to Kyiv and Expectations for Talks
Witkoff and Kushner are expected in Kyiv on Sunday, a senior Ukrainian official told the French news agency AFP. [1] Travelling to Kyiv by plane would be an unusual move, with Ukrainian airspace closed since 2022 because of the war. [1] Visiting leaders and officials have generally travelled by train. [1] The pair will visit Russia first on Saturday and, according to Russian state-affiliated media outlet Tass, have already landed in Moscow. [3] They will then move on to Kyiv on Sunday, Zelenskyy confirmed. [3] Zelenskyy confirmed Ukraine would refrain from striking Russian airspace during the visit and expects reciprocal restraint from Moscow. [3] The US envoys are expected to meet Putin on 5 September, before making their first visit to Kyiv on 6 September. [5]
Context of Prior Diplomatic Efforts
Witkoff and Kushner, who have been involved in negotiations for ceasefires in Gaza and Iran, have travelled repeatedly to Moscow in previous attempts to achieve a diplomatic solution. [1] Their visit comes after a trip to Moscow last month by CIA director John Ratcliffe, who warned Russia against any attack on NATO member states, according to US media. [1] Russia and Ukraine have intensified long-range attacks, driving up civilian casualties to levels not seen since the start of fighting in February 2022. [1] Zelenskyy’s Friday message came the same day that a Russian drone strike targeted the Security Service of Ukraine’s headquarters in Ukraine, Zelenskyy wrote in a public message on the app Telegram. [3] Zelenskyy alleged the strike directly targeted the head of the Security Service's office. [3] He also wrote that he was directing the head, Oleksandr Poklad, to prepare a retaliatory strike. [3] "I gave Poklad the task of adequately, noticeably and, if possible, mirroring the Russians' response to this attack, when everything is prepared. Our military will support this response. Glory to Ukraine!" he wrote. [3] At least nine people were injured in the explosion, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko also wrote on Telegram. [3]
Related European Security Concerns
The visit also comes just one day after German officials formally accused Russia of attempting an explosive drone attack on a major airport in Germany. [3] "The attack on the aircraft in Leipzig was concrete; it could have triggered a catastrophe had it succeeded. The attacker was, at most, covert, but even here there is now certainty: The German government has named Russia as the mastermind. Patterns of attack, police investigations, and intelligence findings prove Russian responsibility for the drone attack," Stefan Kornelius, a spokesperson for the German federal government, wrote Friday. [3] EU summons Russian envoy, eyes sanctions after Germany drone 'attack'. [1]
What to watch next: The envoys are expected to travel to Kyiv on Sunday to assess progress toward peace after their Moscow meetings, with Ukraine confirming it will ensure safe airspace during the visit.
