Trump confirms Witkoff and Kushner will visit Moscow and Kyiv over peace plan

Donald Trump is sending his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv to test whether his administration’s peace initiative can move the Russia-Ukraine war toward a settlement.

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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.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump described the pair as "the two great negotiators" and said they would determine whether "we can get something done." He rejected the suggestion that the proposed plan necessarily required Ukraine to surrender territory, saying instead that Washington would present "an idea for peace."

Trump said the conflict had become particularly difficult because of the relationship between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "They have serious hate, and it's getting in the way of them," he said. He also pointed to the continuing military losses, saying the two sides were losing an average of 25,000 soldiers a month and that the war had to be settled.

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

Zelenskyy said earlier that the American delegation would visit Russia first and then Kyiv on Sunday. In a post on X, he said Ukrainian authorities were preparing for the visit and would facilitate the negotiators’ safe movement, including the normal functioning of Russian airspace for their travel. "We are looking out for them, not for Russia," he said.

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We are looking out for them, not for Russia.

Zelenskyy called for reciprocal restraint while the meetings and logistical arrangements were under way. "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. He said Kyiv wanted the discussions with the US delegation to be as constructive and substantive as possible and to identify practical ways to end the war.

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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.