US President Donald Trump has sent two of his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to Russia and Ukraine as part of a fresh effort to end the war between the two countries.
Trump announced the move on Friday, saying the envoys were carrying a proposal aimed at finding a way to bring the conflict to an end after more than four years of fighting.
Witkoff and Kushner are expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday before travelling to Kyiv on Sunday for discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Kremlin has not confirmed whether Putin will meet the American representatives.
Trump said the purpose of the mission was to determine whether there was a realistic opportunity to make progress towards a peace agreement.
“They’re bringing with them a proposal to end the war,” Trump told reporters, adding that the US had “an idea for peace.”
The president declined to say whether the proposal would require Ukraine to give up territory, an issue that has previously featured in discussions about possible peace terms.
The diplomatic effort comes as Russia and Ukraine continue to exchange missile and drone attacks, with civilian casualties rising amid the renewed fighting.
Shortly before Trump announced the envoys’ trip, Zelensky said a Russian drone had struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s SBU security service in central Kyiv.
According to the Ukrainian president, the attack targeted the office of the agency’s acting chief and marked the first reported strike on the headquarters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Zelensky called for a temporary ceasefire during the US envoys’ visit, saying Ukraine would halt airstrikes if Russia did the same.
“Russia must reciprocally ensure a ceasefire,” he said in his evening address.
There was no immediate response from Moscow to the proposal.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials reported another Russian strike in the southeastern city of Kamianske, where four people were killed and five others injured.
Witkoff and Kushner have previously participated in US diplomatic efforts involving conflicts in Gaza and Iran. Witkoff has also made several trips to Moscow as Washington has sought to engage Russian officials over the Ukraine war.
The latest initiative follows a recent visit to Moscow by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who reportedly warned Russia against attacking NATO member states.
Trump returned to office last year with a pledge to work towards ending the Ukraine conflict, making negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv a major foreign policy priority for his administration.
