US Envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to Visit Russia and Ukraine to Discuss Peace Talks

Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are scheduled to travel to Russia and Ukraine to engage in peace talks regarding the ongoing conflict. This will be their first visit to Kyiv since US President Donald Trump was reelected. Trump announced that Kushner and Witkoff would present a proposal aimed at ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He did not disclose specific details about the proposal, including whether it would involve territorial concessions from Ukraine, but stated, 'We have an idea for peace.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the envoys would arrive in Ukraine on Sunday after discussions in Moscow. There have been media reports questioning the likelihood of their visit to Ukraine, as the envoys have not traveled to Kyiv since Trump's reelection last year. Trump previously promised to end the war on his first day back in office but has acknowledged that the situation is more complex than anticipated, attributing some blame to Ukraine and the personalities involved. Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine would pause airstrikes during the negotiations and urged Moscow to reciprocate to ensure safe talks. He emphasized the importance of the negotiators' safety. Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not confirm the visit, stating that the media would be informed if a meeting occurred. Kushner and Witkoff last met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in January. Putin recently described the negotiations as 'frozen.' Concurrently, a Russian drone strike targeted the headquarters of Ukraine's domestic security service in Kyiv, which Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha labeled as 'a major escalation' of the conflict. He criticized Moscow's actions as a rejection of diplomacy. Zelenskyy ordered a response to the strike, aiming for a proportional reaction. Ukraine has also conducted drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure and the retail company Wildberries.