U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may travel to moscow this month for talks with kremlin chief vladimir putin. This would come after they meet with Ukrainian negotiators and European officials in Miami on Friday to present "new ideas and proposals" for breaking the deadlock in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Axios reports this, citing U.S. and Ukrainian officials, writes UNN.
Details
The Trump administration hopes to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough before the U.S. midterm congressional elections and before "Ukraine is gripped by a harsh winter."
"One idea is a partial ceasefire that would halt attacks on energy infrastructure and grain supplies," the publication says. Although Ukraine has said it is ready to take this step, russia has shown little willingness.
"They are all nervous about the winter. It will be a difficult winter if the war does not end. Therefore, the U.S. is trying to mediate between the sides with the aim of creating a unified proposal," a source in the U.S. said.
"Witkoff and Kushner may travel to moscow later this month for further talks with putin," a source familiar with the situation said.
A Ukrainian official stated that, "despite skepticism in Kyiv, the U.S. midterm elections and russia's need for sanctions relief could lead putin to agree to some form of ceasefire."
The envoys met with Trump
Witkoff and Kushner met with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday to present the latest U.S. proposal and get his opinion ahead of the talks in Miami, which are expected to last two days, a U.S. official said.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Deputy National Security Advisor Mike Needham were also present at the meeting.
The Ukrainian side will be represented by Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Rustem Umerov, diplomatic adviser Serhii Kyslytsia, and member of parliament Davyd Arakhamia. The U.S. also invited national security advisers from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, as well as NATO and EU officials.
A U.S. source said that "the sides will discuss proposals for security guarantees for Ukraine, a postwar prosperity plan, and other aspects of the conflict."
Additional information
Witkoff and Kushner visited moscow and Kyiv in early September. Since then, they have been working with the Russians and Ukrainians on an updated peace initiative, the publication writes.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a press conference in Lisbon on Thursday that the war had reached a "deadlock." He stressed that the U.S. wants to prevent further escalation of the hostilities over the next month and find a way to end the war.
Zelenskyy told journalists on Thursday that Ukraine was discussing with the U.S. the possibility of a ceasefire in the energy and grain sectors.
"As for what may be realistic or more realistic, I am not yet ready to say. I do not want to say something and then have russia, as always, do the opposite out of spite. So let us wait and see," he said.