Witkoff and Kushner to Travel to Russia and Ukraine for Peace Negotiations

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Russia and Ukraine this weekend to assist in restarting peace negotiations. United States President Donald Trump stated that the special envoys are making the trip in an effort to revive talks between Ukraine and Russia. On Friday, during a speech at the White House, Trump mentioned that Witkoff and Kushner are preparing to visit Kyiv and Moscow with a proposal to 'end the war.' Trump said, 'I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner … to see whether or not we can get something done,' adding that there may be a good chance of achieving a resolution. He did not provide specific details about the proposed plan for peace. According to the Russian state news agency TASS, Witkoff and Kushner will be in Moscow on Saturday and Sunday, marking their first visit since January. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the envoys would also be in Ukraine on Sunday, which will be their first visit since Trump returned to power. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently stated that negotiations were 'frozen.' The anticipated talks come as both sides have increased air attacks, with Russia targeting the headquarters of Ukraine’s SBU security services on Friday, resulting in at least 12 injuries, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Al Jazeera’s Audrey MacAlpine, reporting from Kyiv, noted that while the attack on the SBU building was not unexpected, it raised concerns about potential future targets. She remarked, 'It’s not so much that people never expected the SBU to be hit, but it really raises the question of if Russia can hit this, what else can it hit?' Trump indicated that a peace deal in the ongoing conflict has been difficult to achieve due to a 'personality problem' between the two leaders, stating, 'President Zelenskyy and President Putin truly hate each other.' A study released in July by the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that the war has resulted in approximately 450,000 Russian casualties and between 125,000 and 150,000 Ukrainian fatalities.