US envoys fly to Russia, then Ukraine with plan 'to end war'

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have journeyed to Moscow to attempt reinvigorating discussions aimed at concluding Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to news outlets on Saturday. The delegation was greeted upon their arrival at the airport by Russian representative Kirill Dmitriev, as reported by Tass, Russia's state news agency.

Earlier that same day, U.S. President Donald Trump disclosed his intention to dispatch both Kushner and Witkoff to Moscow and Kyiv, along with a proposal purportedly designed to bring an end to the conflict. At a press conference on Friday, when questioned about the pair's mission, Trump did not disclose specifics regarding the proposed plan, including whether it entailed Ukraine ceding territory to Russia, an assertion he has made prior. Instead, he stated, "We have an idea for peace."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the U.S. envoys would journey to Ukraine on Sunday, following meetings in Moscow. Nonetheless, reports have surfaced expressing doubt regarding their actual visit to Kyiv since Trump's re-election last year. Trump had originally vowed to conclude the war in Ukraine, which has been ongoing for five years, upon his arrival back in office.

However, he has since admitted that achieving this goal is proving to be more challenging than initially anticipated. At times, Trump has accused Ukraine of instigating the Russian invasion and a "personality problem" between the leaders of the two nations for the persistent hostilities.

Zelenskyy conveyed on Telegram that Ukraine would cease airstrikes during the negotiations and urged Russia to do the same to ensure the safety of the negotiators. As is customary with prior diplomatic visits by the American side, he assured that "the normal functioning of Russian airspace will be maintained so that the negotiators can arrive safely.

We are concerned about their safety, not about Russia." On Wednesday, Putin had described the negotiations as "frozen." Concurrently, a Russian drone targeted the headquarters of Ukraine's domestic security service (SBU) in Kyiv on Friday, which Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha characterized as a "major escalation" of the war.

In response, Zelenskyy vowed to deliver a proportionate and, where feasible, retaliatory strike similar to the one launched against the SBU.