US President Donald Trump stated that his special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are heading to Moscow and Kyiv with a proposal to end the war in Ukraine. The American leader informed journalists of this in the Oval Office of the White House, according to the BBC.
“They are bringing with them a proposal to end the war,” Trump said. “We sent them there to see if we can achieve something, and perhaps we have pretty good chances of success.”
According to the US president, Witkoff and Kushner are “excellent negotiators” and have already done “outstanding work.”
When asked by journalists whether the proposal is new, Trump stated: “No.”
He also again noted that he considers himself a man who helped end eight wars, although, according to him, “he is not given any credit for it.”
Negotiations in Moscow and Kyiv
As Axios previously reported, Witkoff and Kushner are expected to arrive in Moscow on September 5, where they plan to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. After that, the American representatives will travel to Kyiv for negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
A TASS source also reported that the visit of American representatives to Russia and Ukraine is scheduled for September 5–6.
Before the trip, Washington requested that Moscow and Kyiv reduce military activity during the visit, The New York Times reported, citing American officials. According to the publication, the US asked Ukraine to temporarily halt drone attacks on Moscow and energy facilities, and Russia to refrain from striking targets in Kyiv.
Russia’s Defense Ministry previously stated that Russian strikes are conducted only against military and energy facilities in Ukraine.
Russian Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov previously spoke about a possible visit by Witkoff and Kushner to Russia. In June, he reported that Trump and Putin had agreed on such a trip. In late August, Russian leader’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the American representatives welcome guests, but noted that the exact date of the visit had not yet been determined.
Positions of Moscow and Kyiv
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously stated that Russia is ready to cease fire and begin negotiations on the condition of the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, as well as Kyiv’s official refusal to join NATO. Moscow also insists on recognizing Crimea, Sevastopol, and the four regions as part of Russia and demands the lifting of sanctions.
In late August, at a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Putin stated that Russia is moving toward ending the conflict in Ukraine. At the same time, he called some peace initiatives coming to Moscow “unacceptable,” emphasizing that negotiations are possible only taking into account the realities on the ground.
Dmitry Peskov previously noted that there are no prerequisites for optimism regarding a peaceful settlement at this time. According to him, the situation is related to Kyiv’s position.
The Ukrainian side declares its readiness for dialogue. First Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Sergey Kislitsa said that Kyiv is ready to discuss possible options with the American side and continue negotiations.
“Ready to sit down at the negotiating table, ready to listen to the American side, talk with Russians and prove our arguments,” he said.
Trump himself previously said that the end of the conflict would happen “soon.” “I think we will handle it,” the US president noted.
