U.S. President Donald Trump announced Friday, September 4, 2026, that he is sending Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and senior advisor Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv carrying a peace proposal to end the war in Ukraine.
​Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office at the White House, President Trump described Witkoff and Kushner as “two great negotiators” tasked with gauging whether a diplomatic resolution can be reached between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
​High-Stakes Diplomatic meeting is set for Saturday, September 5, 2026 in Moscow. The delegation is scheduled to hold talks at the Kremlin with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Witkoff and Kushner will travel to Kyiv on Sunday, September 6, 2026, to meet directly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This marks their first official visit to Kyiv since President Trump returned to office.
U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed speculation on whether the plan requires territorial concessions, stating the U.S. will present “an idea for peace”. He cited mounting casualties as urgency to act, noting, “They’re losing on average 25,000 soldiers a month. It’s got to get settled,” while framing the impasse as a “personality problem” between two leaders who “truly hate each other.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed preparations for the U.S. delegation in an address on X and Telegram. Zelenskyy proposed a reciprocal temporary pause on airstrikes during the talks, committing that Ukraine will refrain from strikes and ensure safe airspace for the envoys.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called a Russian drone strike on the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) headquarters in central Kyiv earlier Friday a “major escalation” meant to undermine diplomatic momentum.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov refused to publicly confirm details of the Moscow itinerary on Friday, stating official announcements would follow if a meeting takes place.
​The renewed U.S. push comes after diplomatic momentum stalled earlier in the year. The U.S. envoys previously met President Putin in Moscow in December 2025 and January 2026 for preliminary talks.
