TASS: US Envoys May Visit Russia and Ukraine This Weekend
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner could travel to Russia and Ukraine this weekend to revive peace talks, TASS reports, though the Kremlin has not confirmed the trip.
Russian state news agency TASS reported Friday, citing a source familiar with the matter, that US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to visit both Russia and Ukraine this weekend in an effort to restart negotiations aimed at ending the war. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov would neither confirm nor deny the report, saying only that details would be announced once the contacts actually take place.
The last round of US-mediated talks between Moscow and Kyiv took place in February, shortly before the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran. Since then, the Kremlin has repeatedly hinted that Witkoff and Kushner could soon return to Moscow. In June, Peskov said the pair were occupied with other matters but promised talks would resume once they became available. The two Americans last visited Russia in January, holding more than four hours of late-night talks with President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. This week Putin said he enjoyed working with Witkoff and Kushner and that they were always welcome in Moscow.
A source cited by Reuters said a trip to Ukraine was still under discussion, with Sunday floated as a possible date. Such a visit would be the first by Witkoff and Kushner to Kyiv since peace talks began under the Trump administration. According to the source, Russian officials are reluctant to see the envoys visit Kyiv and are trying to alter the itinerary. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his Thursday night address that he expected the envoys to hold meetings in both Moscow and Kyiv in the coming days, stressing the importance of continued active US involvement.
Despite the renewed push to restart talks, which the Kremlin recently described as being in a deep pause, a wide gap remains between the two sides. Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified attacks in recent weeks, causing significant damage to commercial and industrial infrastructure. Putin continues to insist that Ukraine cede additional territory as a condition for peace, while Kyiv rejects terms it views as amounting to surrender. On Thursday, however, Putin acknowledged there was a chance of reaching an agreement to end the war.
