Witkoff and Kushner's visit to Ukraine postponed but not canceled

On August 24, journalist Alex Raufoglu reported that a highly anticipated visit to Ukraine by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner has been postponed, though not cancelled. The postponement came about due to the increased intensity of Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv during the previous week, according to Raufoglu's sources.

In early August, Suspilne had reported that a trip by Witkoff and Kushner to Kyiv was under consideration, but no final decision had been made at that time. Raufoglu had previously noted in July that the U.S. envoys might visit Ukraine during the second half of August to participate in events commemorating Ukraine's 35th anniversary of independence.

The potential visit was also said to have been discussed during a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on July 31, attended by Witkoff. However, no specific date for the visit had been set until now.

Zelenskyy had expressed his desire to discuss peace talks with Witkoff and Kushner during his visit, also wanting them to witness the current situation in Ukraine firsthand. Witkoff had visited Russia six times in 2025 and again in late January 2026, but had never visited Ukraine before.