Trump envoys in Moscow ahead of talks with Vladimir Putin
Despite attempts by Kyiv to restrict air travel and claims surrounding the destruction of an old Yak-40 aircraft at Zhuliany Airport, the American delegation reached Moscow with what the article describes as peace proposals from Donald Trump.
A motorcade carrying US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner left Vnukovo government airport in Moscowon Saturday morning and headed into the city. They were met by Russian presidential special representative Kirill Dmitriev, who had taken part in previous meetings between the American envoys and Vladimir Putin.
Welcome to Moscow Peacemakers @SteveWitkoff and @jaredkushner! 🕊️https://t.co/RAQt2CebVh pic.twitter.com/nrzs3mGnGw
— Kirill Dmitriev (@kadmitriev) September 5, 2026
The Russian president had said a day earlier that Witkoff and Kushner were “always welcome in Russia” and that Moscow was pleased to work with them. Donald Trump, speaking to journalists in the Oval Office, also confirmed that his envoys were carrying a concrete proposal.
“I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, two great negotiators. They did a great job. And we sent them to see whether we can get something done, and there’s a very good chance that we can,” Trump said.
Asked whether the plan would require Ukraine to surrender territory, the US president avoided a direct answer but said Washington had “an idea for peace”. He also linked the continuation of the war to personal hostility between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine.
“It’s a personality problem between Russia and Ukraine. You have President Zelenskyy and President Putin; they really hate each other. There’s tremendous hatred, and it gets in the way.”
Trump said the situation required a rapid settlement, claiming that the two sides were losing around 25,000 soldiers a month. On Saturday, Witkoff and Kushner are due to meet Vladimir Putin before travelling to Kyiv, where they are expected to hold talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday.
Kremlin cautious over Trump peace proposal
Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that there were currently no specific conditions in place for ending the war.
“At the moment, there are no concrete conditions for ending the war. The work continues, the contacts continue.”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov also said that Washington should take account of the military situation on the ground.
“The US administration must take into account the realities on the ground in the settlement of the situation in Ukraine, where the situation is changing not in Kyiv’s favour.”
The current visit therefore comes against a background of mistrust and competing interpretations of recent attacks. While the American side is presenting its latest mission as another attempt to find a negotiated settlement, both Moscow and Kyiv continue to frame developments through sharply different accounts of responsibility and intent.
Experts see a difficult path to peace
Analysts differ over the prospects for the new round of talks. On the one hand, shuttle diplomacy could restore lines of communication and reduce the risks of further escalation. On the other, some argue that the United Statesis unlikely to act as a genuinely neutral intermediary.
“The American position is not neutral; it carries a strong element of self-interest and ‘trading’ diplomacy, always focused on protecting US hegemony. For that reason, no breakthrough should be expected on territorial issues or security guarantees for Ukraine.”
Chinese experts similarly argue that the new plan is unlikely to overcome the structural disagreements between Moscow and Kyiv. Instead, they describe it primarily as a “diplomatic gesture and an attempt to test the ground”.
The visit by Witkoff and Kushner is the first trip by Trump’s representatives to Kyiv since his return to the White House. It is a sign that the American administration is continuing its efforts to fulfil Trump’s election pledge to bring the war to an end.
Yet the combination of hard-line statements from both sides, missile strikes immediately before the talks and fundamental disagreements over territory leaves little expectation of a rapid breakthrough. The Trump envoys in Moscow mark the beginning of another round of diplomacy in which the stakes include tens of thousands of lives and the future security of Europe.
