U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to arrive in Moscow on Saturday, September 5, with a proposal to end the years-long war with Ukraine. But Russia has expressed pessimism about the trip’s prospects for resulting in any agreement, Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
What they are saying in the Kremlin
According to people close to the Kremlin, "expectations for the visit are extremely low."
They said Witkoff’s and Kushner’s previous trips to Russia did not result in progress, and there is no reason to believe that they will bring acceptable proposals this time.
Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin is ready to stop the war only on his own terms, while Russia’s demands are becoming tougher because it believes it has a military advantage, the publication’s sources said.
The positions of the United States and Ukraine
When asked about the visit on Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that "they will bring a proposal to end the war," although he provided no details.
Witkoff and Kushner are taking a proposal to Moscow and Kyiv to end the war — Trump04.09.26, 22:32
Witkoff and Kushner will travel from Moscow to visit Ukraine on Sunday, September 6, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday evening, September 4. Kyiv’s goal is to make the visit "as constructive and meaningful as possible," he said.
"We need to look for real options for ending this war," the President of Ukraine said. Ukraine will not carry out airstrikes during the period necessary for the U.S. visit and expects reciprocity from Russia, Zelenskyy said.
But during the night of September 5, Russia continued strikes against Ukraine, including with ballistic missiles and attack drones.
Russia announced new strikes on Ukraine despite Zelenskyy's proposal05.09.26, 09:32
The envoys’ first visit to Ukraine since the start of the war, the publication writes, has raised hopes in Kyiv of reviving diplomatic momentum toward a peace agreement after U.S.-led negotiations reached an impasse in February, when President Donald Trump shifted his attention to the conflict with Iran.
It is unclear whether U.S. officials are putting forward any new initiatives that could break the deadlock in the negotiations, the publication notes. Putin, it says, has shown no signs that he is ready to back down from his demand that Ukraine hand over the remainder of its eastern Donetsk region under any agreement, a demand Kyiv has repeatedly rejected.
The White House and representatives of Kushner and Witkoff did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier, he declined to confirm the visit to Russia, telling reporters on Friday, "when these contacts take place, we will inform you."
Witkoff and Kushner last visited Moscow in January for talks with Putin focused on a 20-point plan to end the war, which is now in its fifth year.