Trump envoys arrive in Moscow ahead of Ukraine talks, reports say

Two top US envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, have arrived in Moscow, Russia, ahead of weekend talks aimed at hastening the resolution of the war in Ukraine, according to Russian media reports. The envoys are scheduled to hold discussions in Moscow on Saturday, before journeying to Kyiv on Sunday for meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

President Donald Trump revealed on Friday that the pair would present a proposal aimed at ending the conflict. Efforts from the US and its allies to broker a peace deal have thus far been unsuccessful, with Axios reporting that the US envoys would separately meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky.

While neither Washington nor the Kremlin has confirmed the envoys' arrival, flight tracking data indicates a US government plane landed at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport following a flight from Helsinki, Finland. Witkoff and Kushner have previously traveled to Moscow several times since Trump assumed office, but their upcoming visit to Kyiv would mark their first.

On Saturday, Zelensky reported that Russia had conducted "demonstrative" strikes on airports in Kyiv and Boryspil the previous night, anticipating a US envoys' arrival in Ukraine. He further stated that these strikes were in response to preparations for the US side potentially using an aircraft to reach Kyiv or Boryspil airports.

Ukraine's airspace has been under Russian control since the country's full-scale invasion commenced in February 2022. Zelensky pledged to ensure the safety of Russian airspace during the envoys' visit, while also calling for Russia to extend the same protection to Ukraine. On Friday, Zelensky disclosed that an overnight Russian strike on a civilian structure in the Dnipro region resulted in the deaths of four individuals and injuries to five others.

The envoys' Moscow visit follows a rare trip by CIA Director John Ratcliffe to the Russian capital just over a week ago. There was no official statement from Washington or the Kremlin on the topics discussed during Ratcliffe's visit. Last week, Trump characterized the meeting as "semi-routine." Last year, both the US, Ukraine, and Russia separately hinted at a potential deal to conclude the war following numerous talks facilitated by the Americans, although Paris-hosted European allies' discussions ultimately concluded without a breakthrough.

The primary disagreements between the conflicting parties revolve around territorial issues and security assurances for Ukraine. In recent months, both Russia and Ukraine have escalated their aerial assaults, with Ukraine citing a lack of interceptor missiles as a hindrance to repelling the attacks, while Kyiv has concentrated its strikes on Russian economic infrastructure targets.