US envoys Witkoff and Kushner set for Moscow and Kyiv talks on ending the war
US President Donald Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were scheduled to travel to Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend of September 4–6 for negotiations on ending the war. They were due to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow on September 5 and Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on September 6, in what was reported as the first visit to Kyiv by representatives of the Trump administration.
Key points
- Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner planned to depart for Moscow on Friday, September 4, according to Axios citing American officials.
- The envoys were scheduled to hold negotiations with Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday, September 5.
- They were scheduled to meet Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday, September 6.
- The Kyiv leg was reported as the first trip to Kyiv by representatives of the Trump administration.
- Ukrainian and American officials said the Kyiv visit had been discussed for several months.
- Witkoff and Kushner discussed the upcoming trip with Donald Trump at the White House beforehand.
- As of September 4, Kyiv had been under continuous Russian drone strikes for nine consecutive days.
Why it matters
The visit was reported as the first trip to Kyiv by representatives of the Trump administration, putting a direct US–Russia–Ukraine negotiating channel on the table just as Kyiv faced a ninth consecutive day of Russian drone strikes. The dual-track itinerary — Moscow on September 5, Kyiv on September 6 — frames a single US-led effort to mediate an end to the war against an active aerial campaign.
What happened
US President Donald Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were scheduled to travel over the weekend of September 4–6 for negotiations on ending the war, according to Axios citing American officials. The pair were to depart for Moscow on Friday, September 4, meet Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin on Saturday, September 5, and then travel on to Kyiv for a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, September 6. Axios reported the planned trip; Ukrainian and American officials said the Kyiv leg had been discussed for several months, and Witkoff and Kushner had discussed the itinerary with Donald Trump at the White House beforehand. As of September 4, Kyiv had been under continuous Russian drone strikes for nine consecutive days.
Where reporting differs
Kyiv Independent, citing its own sources, reported that Witkoff and Kushner were discussing alternative plans for the Kyiv visit because of Russian intimidation, while Zelensky separately said the two envoys had confirmed the possibility of coming to Ukraine.
Background
Ukrainian and American officials said the Kyiv leg of the trip had been discussed for several months. Witkoff and Kushner discussed the upcoming trip with Donald Trump at the White House beforehand.