Russia-Ukraine war: Trump to send envoys Witkoff, Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv for peace talks

Washington DC: US President Donald Trump on Friday verified that his Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, also his son-in-law,   will undertake visits to Moscow and Kyiv, advancing Washington's diplomatic initiatives to negotiate a peace framework to resolve the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Speaking to reporters inside the Oval Office, Trump stated that he dispatched Witkoff and Kushner to gauge whether progress could be achieved toward an agreement between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“So I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the 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,” Trump said.

When questioned about whether the potential peace framework would mandate Ukraine ceding territory, Trump rejected the focus on territorial concessions, noting instead that his administration would offer “an idea for peace”.

“We'll have an idea for peace,” Trump said, asserting that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine had grown exceedingly complex due to the interpersonal dynamics of their leadership.

“It's a personality problem in Russia-Ukraine. You have President Zelenskyy and President Putin; they truly hate each other,” Trump said.

“They have serious hate, and it's getting in the way of them,” he added.

The US President also underscored the persistent military casualties, arguing that the rate of losses rendered a resolution increasingly urgent.

“They're losing on average 25,000 soldiers a month. It's got to get settled,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Zelenskyy mentioned that Witkoff and Kushner were scheduled to travel to Russia and Ukraine over the coming days, with an initial stop planned in Moscow before arriving in Kyiv on Sunday.

Writing in a post on X, Zelenskyy noted that Ukrainian officials were actively making arrangements for the American delegation's arrival.

“Today, it has been clearly established that US envoys will be in Ukraine and Russia in the coming days,” Zelenskyy said in his post.

Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine would facilitate the delegation's safe transit, including ensuring the seamless operation of Russian airspace to accommodate their itinerary.

“We are looking out for them, not for Russia,” he said.

In addition, Zelenskyy called for mutual restraint from Moscow throughout the duration of the discussions, requesting an absence of air strikes from both sides while the meetings and required logistics are carried out.

“There will be no air strikes from our side, and Russia must do the same, ensuring there are no air strikes from its side for the time needed to hold these talks and handle the logistical matters related to this American visit,” the post read.

The Ukrainian President emphasised that Kyiv aimed to ensure the dialogue with the US delegation remains as "constructive and substantive as possible" while exploring viable paths toward ending the war.

“Our goal is to make the visit and the talks with the U.S. side as constructive and substantive as possible. We need to look for real options for how to move this war toward an end,” he added.

These scheduled diplomatic visits take place as Washington endeavors to steer both nations toward the negotiating table, with Trump consistently prioritizing an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict within his foreign policy agenda.

ANI