Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday evening that American negotiators mediating peace efforts to end the war with Russia are expected to visit both Kiev and Moscow in the coming days.
Speaking in a recorded video message, Zelenskyy confirmed that envoys representing the US president will hold separate talks in both national capitals as part of ongoing diplomatic attempts to reach a settlement.
Zelenskyy said Ukrainian officials had received confirmation from the American team regarding the trip and were looking forward to holding a meeting with them in Kiev shortly. He added that preliminary dates for the discussions had already been established, although he chose not to reveal the specific schedule. Emphasising the significance of the mission, Zelenskyy stressed that it is very important for the United States to remain actively engaged in the diplomatic push.
Diplomatic talks and presidential envoys
The planned trip follows a telephone conversation at the end of July between Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, which took place as part of efforts to revitalise diplomacy. If confirmed, the visit will mark the first time Witkoff and Kushner have traveled to Kiev since Trump returned to the White House and launched his diplomatic initiative aimed at resolving the conflict.
While Witkoff and Kushner have already traveled to Moscow several times as part of these negotiations, they have not yet visited the Ukrainian capital. The diplomatic mediation seeks to address the war that erupted in February 2022 when Russian troops invaded Ukraine, touching off the largest military conflict in Europe in decades.
However, efforts to negotiate an end to the war have so far failed to bear fruit. The peace process has also taken a back seat for officials in Washington, where American foreign policy attention has increasingly shifted toward the conflict in the Middle East.
