US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are scheduled to visit Russia and Ukraine this weekend as part of ongoing efforts to negotiate peace between the two countries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that he will meet with the envoys on Sunday after their meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday. President Donald Trump stated that the envoys are bringing a proposal to end the conflict.
On Friday, Zelensky reported that a Russian drone struck the office of Ukraine's security chief, Oleksandr Poklad, in Kyiv, but Poklad was unharmed. Zelensky instructed Poklad, who leads the SBU security service, to respond appropriately to the attack. Additionally, regional authorities reported that four individuals were killed in a Russian strike on the city of Kamianske, with five others injured according to Oleksandr Ganzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration.
This visit marks the first time Witkoff and Kushner will meet in Ukraine, although they have previously visited Russia multiple times. Zelensky has assured the safety of Russian airspace during the envoys' visit and requested that Russia reciprocate for Ukraine. Russia's state news agency Tass reported that the envoys are expected to arrive in Moscow and Kyiv on September 5-6, according to an unnamed source. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that further announcements would be made once the meetings occur.
Putin, speaking at an international economic forum, indicated that there are possibilities for a peace agreement but reiterated his demands for territorial concessions from Ukraine, which Kyiv and its European allies have consistently rejected. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has gained control of approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory.