Washington's latest diplomatic push to end the war in Ukraine will see two senior US envoys travel to both capitals this weekend. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would carry a "proposal to end the war" to Kyiv and Moscow, marking their first visit to the Ukrainian capital since Trump returned to the White House in January.
"I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, 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 told reporters.
The pair are expected in Moscow on Saturday before heading to Kyiv on Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the planned visit in a post on X, writing: "We need to look for real options for how to move this war toward an end. We will see what proposals Steve and Jared bring and what they are told in Moscow in response."
Zelenskyy also pledged that Ukrainian forces would ensure the "normal functioning of Russian airspace" to allow the envoys to travel safely. This came after he had warned airlines and insurers on Tuesday that Russian airspace would "effectively be closing" due to the scale of Ukrainian drone operations making flying unsafe.
In a gesture aimed at facilitating the visit, Zelenskyy said Ukraine would hold off on strikes while Witkoff and Kushner made the trip, and called on Moscow to do the same. "We are looking out for them, not for Russia. 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," he wrote on social media.
Russian strikes continue despite diplomatic efforts
The announcement came as Russian strikes on the city of Kamianske in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region killed four people overnight, according to local authorities. Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, said five others were injured in the attack, which hit an industrial facility.
On Friday, Zelenskyy reported that a Russian drone had struck the headquarters of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) in central Kyiv, saying it had been "aimed directly" at the head of the agency's office. He ordered the SBU to deliver an "appropriate, tangible response and, where possible, one that mirrors this strike."
The visit comes amid broader European efforts to pressure Russia, including new EU sanctions over the deportation of Ukrainian children and discussions on unlocking frozen Russian assets for Ukraine's reconstruction. Kyiv has also urged the EU to rethink its approach to those assets, arguing that the current plan is too slow.
Whether Witkoff and Kushner can break the diplomatic deadlock remains uncertain. Previous attempts at mediation have stalled over fundamental disagreements on territorial integrity, security guarantees, and the status of Crimea. European capitals are watching closely, mindful that any deal must respect Ukraine's sovereignty and the principles of the Cinquième République's commitment to European security.
As the envoys prepare to travel, the human cost of the war continues to mount. The overnight deaths in Dnipropetrovsk are a stark reminder that diplomacy and conflict are proceeding in parallel. Zelenskyy's willingness to pause Ukrainian strikes during the visit signals a desire to create conditions for meaningful talks, but Moscow's response will be telling.
For now, the world waits to see whether this weekend's shuttle diplomacy can produce a breakthrough or whether it will become another chapter in a long and bloody standoff.
