Russia doubts Witkoff, Kushner can deliver breakthrough in Moscow

The Kremlin expresses "extremely low" expectations for a breakthrough during the upcoming visit of U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to Moscow, according to Bloomberg. Previous meetings between the U.S. negotiators and Russia have yielded no significant outcomes, sources close to the Kremlin revealed.

Moscow is not anticipating the envoys to present acceptable proposals this time, as they insist on discussing a ceasefire only on Russia's terms, reported Bloomberg. President Vladimir Putin is prepared to negotiate an end to the war, but only if the Kremlin's conditions are met. Moscow is also tightening its demands, believing it holds the upper hand on the battlefield.

A crucial demand from the Kremlin remains the transfer of the remaining parts of Donetsk Oblast to Russia as part of any agreement, a demand Ukraine has consistently rejected. It remains uncertain whether Witkoff and Kushner have any new proposals that could advance the talks. On the preceding day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the U.S. envoys were scheduled to visit both Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend.

Ukraine also stated its willingness to temporarily halt airstrikes during the diplomatic visits, with the expectation that Russia would reciprocate. Currently, no confirmed ceasefire agreement exists.