Kremlin propagandists call Trump envoys' visits a "special diplomatic operation"

Russian state-controlled media outlets introduced new rhetoric last week connected to US mediation efforts around the war in Ukraine. Propagandists who routinely refer to Russia's invasion of Ukraine using the official term "special military operation" have now begun applying similar language to diplomatic developments as well.

The rhetoric concerns the visits by US President Donald Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to both Moscow and Kyiv. Commentators loyal to the Kremlin labeled these trips a "special diplomatic operation" - a deliberate parallel to the term Moscow has used since 2022 to describe its invasion of its neighboring country.

Envoys' role in the negotiation process

Witkoff and Kushner have become prominent figures in connection with the Trump administration's efforts to broker an end to the war. Both envoys have repeatedly visited the capitals of Russia and Ukraine in attempts to bring the two sides' positions closer together.

The purpose of the propaganda framing

The phrase chosen by Kremlin propagandists reflects an attempt to frame US diplomatic involvement within rhetoric already familiar to the Russian public. By repeatedly reusing the term "special operation" - first in a military context and now in a diplomatic one - propagandists appear to be creating an impression that the process is unfolding in an organized manner favorable to Russia.

Reports of this rhetoric appearing in Kremlin-aligned media were published by an Estonian news outlet, based on observations of Russian state propagandists' statements over the past week.