Ukraine war: US envoys arrive in Moscow for planned meeting with Putin

US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as Washington revives its efforts to broker an end to the war in Ukraine.

The two men landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport, Russia’s state-run Tass news agency reported. No official time has been announced for a Kremlin meeting. Reuters reported that the convoy left the airport for central Moscow, with Kremlin adviser Kirill Dmitriev also traveling in it.

After several visits to Moscow, Witkoff and Kushner are expected to travel to Kyiv on Sunday for the first time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed. Tass quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying Putin had ordered that Kyiv not be attacked for three days from midnight. Peskov linked the decision to the “preparation and start of contacts” with the US delegation expected in Kyiv.

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preparation and start of contacts

Zelenskyy had reported attacks on airports in Kyiv and nearby Boryspil. He said the strikes appeared to be connected to preparations for a possible US aircraft landing at one of the airports. Ukraine’s airspace has been closed since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, though Zelenskyy said the possibility of the US envoys arriving by plane had been discussed.

Zelenskyy said Kyiv would ensure normal operation of Russian airspace for the visit, as it had during earlier US diplomatic visits, and would not carry out air attacks. He called for Russia to respond in kind. The New York Times reported that the US government had also insisted on a halt to attacks, a demand that contributed to weeks of delays in arranging the trip. President Donald Trump called Witkoff and Kushner “two great negotiators” and said they had been sent to see whether progress was possible.

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two great negotiators