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Witkoff and Kushner will travel to ‘end’ Russia’s war in Ukraine: Trump
Confirmed
In Short: United States President Donald Trump announced that US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are traveling this weekend to revive peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, aiming to end the ongoing conflict.
United States President Donald Trump announced that US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are traveling this weekend to revive peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, aiming to end the ongoing conflict.
Trump stated at the White House that Witkoff and Kushner are bringing a proposal to 'end the war' and will be in Moscow on Saturday and Sunday, their first visit since January.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the meetings and said Ukraine is preparing for the visit, marking the first since Trump's return to power.
According to reports, negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, mediated by the Trump administration, were paused in mid-February after the Iran war started.
U.S. officials confirmed that Witkoff and Kushner will travel to Moscow and Kyiv for talks on ending the war, with Zelensky also confirming the meetings on X.
Background
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- Witkoff and Kushner are expected to travel to Moscow on Friday, 4 September, and meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, 5 September, Axios reported.
- He said Ukraine would refrain from airstrikes against Russia for the period required for the talks and related logistics, and called on Moscow to provide a reciprocal pause in its air attacks.
- Zelenskyy said Ukraine wants the visit and negotiations to be as constructive and substantive as possible, while acknowledging that the outcome will depend on the proposals Witkoff and Kushner bring and Russia’s response to them.
- Units of Ukraine's army were ordered to halt fighting Sept. 5-8, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Sept. 4, citing sources in the military, as U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to visit Kyiv and Moscow over the coming days.
- The rhetoric framing these missions has systematically avoided naming the root cause of Ukraine’s suffering: Vladimir Putin and Russia’s naked imperial aggression.
- Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, said that he had dispatched Witkoff and Kushner to determine whether progress could be made toward a settlement between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
- “We’ll have an idea for peace,” Trump said, while arguing that the Russia-Ukraine conflict had become particularly difficult because of the relationship between the two leaders.