Trump envoys land in Moscow for Russia-Ukraine peace push

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday to negotiate a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine after more than four years of conflict. The pair, dispatched by US President Donald Trump, are set to travel to Kyiv as part of the administration's latest effort to break the diplomatic deadlock in Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of launching overnight strikes targeting Kyiv's two airports and a civilian location in the Dnipro region, which resulted in five fatalities. Zelensky stated that these attacks were in response to discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side utilizing an aircraft to travel to Ukraine.

This marks the first time that Witkoff and Kushner, a friend of Trump's and his son-in-law, visit Kyiv since Trump assumed office last year, pledging to resolve the conflict. The envoys are anticipated to reach Kyiv on Sunday, while Axios reported they would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their stay in Moscow on Saturday.

Trump told reporters that the negotiators aim to determine if progress towards peace is feasible. Peace negotiations have been hampered by the US's ongoing conflict with Iran and Russia's escalation of long-range attacks, leading to unprecedented civilian casualties since the onset of the war. Trump did not disclose whether the proposed plan involved territorial concessions, but he reiterated: "We have an idea for peace."

Prior to Trump's announcement, a Russian drone targeted the headquarters of Ukraine's SBU security service in central Kyiv, marking the first such strike on its headquarters since the invasion began. Despite this, Zelensky proposed observing a ceasefire during the envoys' visit, urging Russia to reciprocate by refraining from its own airstrikes throughout the talks.

Although Russia did not respond to the proposal, Witkoff and Kushner's journey to Kyiv is unprecedented due to Ukraine's airspace being closed since the war commenced. The US welcomed Russia's finance minister at a G20 gathering earlier this week, further escalating diplomatic tensions.