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US Envoys Land in Moscow as Russian Strikes Hit Ukrainian Airports

From Vanguard · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow to discuss President Donald Trump’s proposal for ending the war in Ukraine and may travel to Kyiv afterward.
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian strikes hit Kyiv’s two airports and killed four people in the Dnipro region, accusing Moscow of trying to disrupt the visit.
  • The diplomatic effort comes as peace talks remain stalled and Russia and Ukraine intensify long-range missile and drone attacks.

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner landed in Moscow on Saturday carrying what US President Donald Trump described as a proposal to end the war in Ukraine. Their arrival came as Russian strikes hit Kyiv’s two airports and killed four people in the Dnipro region, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine

· Volodymyr ZelenskyyThe Ukrainian president accused Russia of targeting Kyiv’s airports to disrupt the US envoys’ diplomatic visit.

The envoys’ plane touched down at 12:52 p.m. local time, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported. After their talks in Moscow, they are expected to travel to Kyiv, where a senior Ukrainian official told AFP they could arrive on Sunday. US outlet Axios reported that the pair would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Zelenskyy said Russia had also struck a civilian target in the Dnipro region and accused the Kremlin of trying to interfere with the diplomatic mission. “Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine,” he said on X. He added that Ukraine would make adjustments to its air operations so there would be “no threats to diplomacy” from the Ukrainian side.

No threats to diplomacy

· Volodymyr ZelenskyyZelenskyy said Ukraine would adjust its air operations to avoid threatening the diplomatic effort.

A flight to Kyiv would be highly unusual because Ukrainian airspace has been closed since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Foreign leaders and officials visiting the Ukrainian capital have generally travelled by train. It would also mark the first visit to war-torn Kyiv by Witkoff and Kushner since Trump returned to office and pledged to resolve the conflict.

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

· Donald TrumpTrump described the envoys’ mission and expressed cautious hope for progress.

Trump said the two negotiators would assess whether progress toward peace was possible. “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,” he told reporters. “They’re bringing with them a proposal to end the war.” Trump declined to say whether the plan involved Ukraine giving up territory, but said: “We have an idea for peace.”

They’re bringing with them a proposal to end the war

· Donald TrumpTrump said Witkoff and Kushner were carrying a peace proposal.
About this summary

Originally published by Vanguard in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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