Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner land in Moscow aiming to revive Ukraine talks

US diplomats Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday to engage in negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has persisted for over four years. The US envoys, dispatched by President Donald Trump, are anticipated to proceed to Kyiv as part of the administration's ongoing efforts to break the diplomatic deadlock in Europe's most violent conflict since World War II.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alleged that Russia sought to disrupt the envoys' visit through overnight attacks on Kyiv's airports, as well as on a civilian location in the Dnipro region that resulted in five fatalities. Zelensky stated on X that these strikes were a response to the US side considering the use of an aircraft for travel to Ukraine, adding that there would be "no threats to diplomacy" from Ukraine.

This will be the first time that Witkoff and Kushner, a friend of Trump's and his daughter's spouse, respectively, have visited war-torn Kyiv since Trump returned to office last year with the intention of resolving the conflict. Traveling to Kyiv by plane is an unusual move, as Ukrainian airspace has been closed since 2022 due to the ongoing war.

Diplomatic representatives have largely traveled by train. The envoys are projected to arrive in Kyiv on Sunday, according to a senior Ukrainian official, while Axios reported that they will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday. Trump told reporters that Witkoff and Kushner, two prominent negotiators, would attempt to determine if advancements towards peace in the conflict are feasible.

Peace talks have been impeded by the United States' ongoing conflict with Iran, while Moscow and Kyiv have escalated long-range attacks, causing civilian casualties at levels not witnessed since the inception of the fighting. Trump told reporters that "I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, two great negotiators. They’ve done a great job, and we sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done.

And there may be a good chance that we’ll do it." The US president did not disclose whether the plan entailed Ukraine surrendering territory, a previously proposed suggestion, but added, "We have an idea for peace." Witkoff and Kushner, who have been engaged in negotiations for ceasefires in Gaza and Iran, have repeatedly traveled to Moscow in previous attempts at diplomacy.

The renewed push for diplomacy emerges as Russia and Ukraine unleash long-range missile and drone assaults upon each other. Shortly before Trump's announcement on Friday, a Russian drone targeted the headquarters of Ukraine's SBU security service in central Kyiv, according to Zelensky. The strike, aimed at the agency's acting chief, was the first against its headquarters since the invasion began.

Despite the unprecedented nature of the strike, Zelensky proposed observing a ceasefire throughout the duration of the US envoys' visit, stating that Ukraine would not launch any airstrikes, and Russia must reciprocate by ensuring a ceasefire without its own airstrikes for the duration of the talks. Russia did not respond immediately to the proposal.