Trump Envoys Visit Moscow and Kyiv to Broker Peace
U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to present a peace proposal amid a temporary ceasefire in their capitals.
President Donald Trump dispatched special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend of September 5-6, 2026, to revive stalled peace negotiations. The envoys carried a concrete proposal to end the war, which reportedly includes a comprehensive ceasefire, international security commitments for Ukraine, and the lifting of economic sanctions against Russia.
In Moscow, the envoys held a three-hour meeting with President Vladimir Putin. While Putin praised Trump's efforts and expressed a desire to restore U.S. relations, he maintained that Russia's goal of seizing the Donetsk region remains unshakeable. To facilitate the mission, Putin ordered a three-day halt on strikes against Kyiv starting Saturday midnight. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reciprocated by pledging a temporary freeze on airstrikes against Moscow through Monday.
On Sunday, Witkoff and Kushner traveled to Kyiv for three rounds of talks with Zelenskyy, the final session of which included national security advisers from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Zelenskyy described the discussions as substantive but warned that the war would likely continue into winter. He requested a winter aid package featuring Patriot interceptors and energy infrastructure support, emphasizing that territorial disputes must be resolved at the leader level.
Despite the diplomatic push, hostilities continued outside the capitals. Russian forces targeted the headquarters of the Security Service of Ukraine in Kyiv, while Ukrainian drones struck oil facilities in Russia. Following the mission, the Kremlin stated it does not rule out resuming trilateral talks, and Trump is expected to hold phone calls with both leaders on September 7.
