Trump's envoys Witkoff and Kushner arrive in Moscow for talks with Putin
U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on September 5 aboard a U.S. Air Force Boeing C-32A for negotiations with Vladimir Putin. A follow-on meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled in Kyiv for September 6. The trip comes after a months-long pause in trilateral negotiations and is tied to a new U.S.-backed war-ending plan.
Key points
- Witkoff and Kushner arrived at Moscow's Vnukovo airport on September 5
- The aircraft was a U.S. Air Force Boeing C-32A (modified Boeing 757), tail number SAM934, routed Miami–Helsinki–Moscow
- Russian special representative Kirill Dmitriev met the envoys at the airport; TASS published video of the receiving motorcade
- The envoys are to hold talks with Vladimir Putin on September 5 and with Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on September 6
- On September 4, President Trump said the envoys were carrying proposals to end Russia's war against Ukraine; Zelensky confirmed the same day that the envoys would visit Russia and Ukraine
- Zelensky said Ukraine would not carry out airstrikes on Russian territory during the visit and called on Moscow to reciprocate
- The last trilateral Russia–Ukraine–U.S. round was held February 17–18, 2026 in Geneva; a March 5 Abu Dhabi follow-up was postponed after a U.S.–Israel war with Iran began
Why it matters
The visit is the highest-level U.S. diplomatic engagement in months aimed at producing proposals to end Russia's war against Ukraine, and follows a months-long gap in trilateral talks. It is built around a new plan that includes a ceasefire, mutual troop withdrawal, and a buffer zone. Witkoff had previously visited Russia multiple times but never Ukraine, making the Kyiv leg notable. The U.S. is pressing both sides to halt long-range strikes on each other's territory during the envoys' stay, tying de-escalation directly to the diplomacy.
What happened
On September 5, U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner landed at Moscow's Vnukovo airport aboard a U.S. Air Force Boeing C-32A (tail SAM934), which had departed from Miami, stopped in Helsinki, crossed the Russian border over the Gulf of Finland, and passed near St. Petersburg around midday. Russia's special representative Kirill Dmitriev met the envoys at the airport, where TASS published video of the receiving motorcade. The flight became the most-tracked flight on Flightradar during the morning of September 5. The envoys are scheduled to hold negotiations with Vladimir Putin in Moscow on September 5 and with Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on September 6. The trip follows President Trump's September 4 statement that the envoys were carrying proposals to end Russia's war against Ukraine, and President Zelensky's same-day confirmation that the envoys would visit both countries. Zelensky said Ukraine would not carry out airstrikes on Russian territory during the delegation's stay and called on Moscow to reciprocate. According to The New York Times, citing U.S. officials, the U.S. insisted that Ukraine temporarily halt drone attacks on Moscow and Russian energy facilities during the envoys' stay in Russia, while Russia halt missile strikes on Kyiv.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Both supplied articles are Ukrainian. Their coverage leads with the fact of arrival and the identities of Trump's envoys rather than with the substance of the mission. They emphasize the aircraft type, the Miami–Helsinki–Vnukovo routing, and the visible Russian reception at Vnukovo, including TASS video of the motorcade — visual details that underline the diplomatic weight Russia attached to the visit.
Where reporting differs
Sources initially differed on whether the aircraft carrying the envoys was a private business jet (as one Ukrainian-source report suggested) or the U.S. Air Force Boeing C-32A, tail SAM934 (as later confirmed). Reports also differed on whether Witkoff's planned visit to Ukraine on September 6 remained on the schedule or was in question due to his concerns amid Russian attacks.
Background
The last trilateral Russia–Ukraine–U.S. round took place on February 17–18, 2026 in Geneva; a follow-up set for March 5 in Abu Dhabi was postponed after the start of a U.S.–Israel war with Iran. On August 24 — Ukraine's Independence Day — Zelensky said Kyiv, Trump's representatives and European officials had worked out a new plan envisaging a ceasefire, mutual troop withdrawal from the front line, and a buffer zone; a Witkoff/Kushner visit planned for that day was postponed. On August 31, Zelensky spoke by phone with Witkoff and Kushner to discuss a possible visit date, the situation at the front, and Russian air attacks. In 2025 and once at the end of January 2026, Witkoff visited Russia six times but had not previously traveled to Ukraine despite official invitations. The Boeing C-32A (tail SAM934) is a modified Boeing 757 typically used to fly the U.S. Vice President, the First Lady, the Secretary of State, and other senior officials.