U.S. envoys to visit Moscow, then Kyiv this weekend

US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to visit Moscow and Kyiv this weekend, aiming to revive peace talks regarding Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, according to Axios. The trip comes as Washington strives to restart negotiations that had stalled earlier in the year and as Russia escalates its military campaign against Ukraine.

Witkoff and Kushner are scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, September 5th in Moscow, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday, September 6th in Kyiv.

Witkoff and Kushner are expected to visit Kyiv for the first time since President Trump returned to the White House. The two envoys have previously met with Putin multiple times in Moscow but have not yet visited Kyiv during the current Trump administration. Ukrainian and US officials have been discussing a Kyiv visit for several months, but it has been postponed several times for various reasons.

Zelenskyy confirmed the planned meetings on September 4th and called for a reciprocal pause in strikes during the talks. He said Ukraine will refrain from airstrikes against Russia during the negotiation period and requested that Russia reciprocate by pausing its air attacks. Zelenskyy expressed hope for constructive and substantive negotiations, while acknowledging that the outcome depends on the proposals brought by Witkoff and Kushner, as well as Russia's response to them.

The renewed push for peace talks comes amid Washington's renewed efforts to facilitate direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently visited Moscow to discuss the possibility of a Trump-Putin-Zelenskyy summit. However, Kyiv remains skeptical of Moscow's intentions, as Russian attacks against Ukraine have intensified recently, with near-constant large-scale drone attacks being reported.

Despite ongoing skepticism, Ukrainian officials argue that negotiations should not be abandoned and that the war cannot be eternal.