U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are in no hurry to visit Kyiv, as concerns grow in Washington that renewed involvement in peace talks regarding Ukraine may once again fail to yield tangible results. This was reported by the Kyiv Independent, according to UNN.
Details
The publication indicates that this hesitation occurs despite months of internal discussions regarding a possible trip, which would mark the first visit by Witkoff and Kushner to Ukraine, even though both envoys have already traveled to Moscow multiple times for meetings with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
"They have promised many times, but so far they have never fulfilled their promise,"
In addition, the authors note that the visit is complicated by several factors. On a strategic level, both envoys remain deeply involved in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, which continue to dominate Washington's foreign policy agenda.
"As one official noted, the administration's focus has shifted so significantly that Ukraine is no longer the driving force of the diplomatic agenda,"
At the same time, the realities of wartime travel create a more mundane but nonetheless significant obstacle. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has closed its airspace, leaving rail transport as the only viable route to Kyiv.
"They have their own issue with the necessity of traveling by train. It is difficult for Witkoff,"
At the same time, according to the authors, logistics alone do not explain the delay.
"The deeper problem lies in the lack of progress in negotiations – and the risk that a visit would simply expose this deadlock," the media outlet concludes.
As a reminder
Earlier, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, expressed hope that Kyiv expects a visit from the U.S. special representatives by the end of April.
There is no agreed date for Witkoff and Kushner's visit to Ukraine yet - Stefanishyna23.04.26, 21:32