US President Donald Trump announced he is sending his son-in-law Jared Kushner and businessman Steve Witkoff to Moscow and Kyiv with a proposal to end Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"They're bringing with them a proposal to end the war," Trump told reporters on Friday. Kushner and Witkoff have served as Trump's envoys for peace efforts in the Middle East and Ukraine. The US president did not provide details on the plan, including whether it involves territorial concessions by Ukraine, but said, "We have an idea for peace."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that Kushner and Witkoff would travel to Ukraine on Sunday following talks in Moscow. However, recent media reports have questioned whether the pair would actually visit Kyiv, as they have not been there since Trump's reelection.
Trump had promised to end the war in Ukraine on his first day back in office, but has since admitted it is more complicated than expected. He has previously blamed Ukraine for the invasion and cited a "personality problem" between the leaders as a factor in the continued fighting.
Zelenskyy stated on Telegram that Ukraine would halt airstrikes during negotiations and called on Moscow to do the same to ensure safe passage for negotiators. "As with 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 concerned about their safety, not about Russia," he said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not confirm reports of the US officials' visit to Moscow, saying the media would be informed if a meeting takes place. Kushner and Witkoff were last in Moscow in January for talks with Putin, who on Wednesday described negotiations as "frozen."
Meanwhile, a Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine's domestic security service (SBU) in Kyiv on Friday. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the attack "a major escalation" of the war. "Moscow launched this strike during a renewed push for peace — laying bare its true rejection of diplomacy," he wrote on X. Zelenskyy ordered "an appropriate, tangible response and, where possible, one that mirrors this strike."
Source: www.dw.com