President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Thursday that the two senior American negotiators leading the Trump administration’s push to end the war, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are expected to visit both Kyiv and Moscow within the coming days. Zelensky stated that tentative dates for the trips already exist, marking a significant step because earlier rounds of engagement had largely bypassed direct talks on Ukrainian soil, and neither man had yet set foot in Ukraine despite months of shuttle diplomacy.
Kyiv has handed over detailed proposals covering security guarantees, territorial questions, and the pace of any ceasefire. Zelensky noted that the United States has indicated a desire to press Russia toward winding down the war rather than allowing negotiations to drag on indefinitely, while also reiterating Ukraine’s request for stronger air defence support from Washington as a precondition for a broader settlement.
The announcement follows recent phone calls between Zelensky and the two envoys. While Witkoff and Kushner have previously travelled to Moscow for talks, parallel visits to Kyiv have been repeatedly delayed, and diplomats caution that announced timelines have slipped before and no formal date has been publicly confirmed.