Moscow
US special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday for talks on the war in Ukraine, according to two people familiar with the visit. They were met by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who has participated in previous meetings between US negotiators and President Vladimir Putin.
The visit comes after US President Donald Trump said that Washington had a fresh concrete proposal aimed at ending the war, now in its fifth year. Trump did not provide details of the proposal.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the two US representatives would travel to Ukraine on Sunday after their Moscow meetings. In a post on X on Saturday, Zelenskiy said Russia had struck two Ukrainian airports ahead of the planned visit to Kyiv.
Dmitriev has remained in contact with US negotiators during a pause in their visits to Russia and has played a role in discussions over US sanctions waivers for Russian oil.
Despite the renewed diplomatic activity, major differences remain between Moscow and Kyiv. The Kremlin said that Putin’s demand for Ukraine to surrender the entire territory of four regions claimed by Russia and abandon its NATO membership ambitions remained “unshakeable”.
Since the last peace talks in February, both sides have intensified long-range attacks. Russia has continued gradual advances in the Donbas, while Ukraine has targeted Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure.
