MOSCOW/KYIV - Russian news agency TASS reported that U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are slated to visit Russia and Ukraine on Saturday and Sunday, according to a source cited by the agency. The report noted there was no immediate confirmation of the travel plans.
The two negotiators last traveled to Moscow in January, where they conducted late-night discussions that lasted about four hours with President Vladimir Putin inside the Kremlin. That meeting is the most recent public milestone cited in connection with their mediation efforts.
According to a source familiar with the matter, discussions about a separate stop in Ukraine were still underway. The teams reportedly discussed September 6 as a potential date for a visit to Kyiv. If Witkoff and Kushner proceed to Ukraine, the source said, it would mark their first trip to the Ukrainian capital.
The source cited by TASS also indicated that Russian officials do not want the envoys to travel to Kyiv and are attempting to alter the plan. No independent confirmation of those reported efforts was provided.
Context and diplomatic status
Observers and participants in the talks have described a wide divide between Moscow and Kyiv regarding acceptable terms to end the 4-1/2-year war. The article notes that Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine cede more territory. Ukraine, for its part, has rejected proposals it views as equivalent to surrender.
The most recent U.S.-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine, as noted in the report, took place in February. The article states these talks occurred shortly before the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran.
What remains unclear
The account is based on a TASS report citing a source and lacks immediate independent confirmation. Several details remain unresolved, including finalization of travel plans, whether the envoys will indeed enter Kyiv, and how Russian objections may affect the schedule.
This report records the factual claims attributed to the cited source without asserting outcomes or predictions about the negotiations or their potential effects.