--- title: "Kremlin Blames Kyiv Again for Sabotaging Peace: Peskov on the Status of Trump Envoys' Visit to Russia" description: "Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated there are no prerequisites for a peaceful settlement, once again blaming Kyiv, and reported that the visit of Trump's envoys to Russia is currently undated." date: 2026-08-20T10:52:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/kremlin-blames-kyiv-peace-peskov-trump-envoys-witkoff-kushner tags: [kremlin, peskov, ukraine-war, trump-envoys, vitkoff, kushner, peace-talks] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Kremlin Blames Kyiv Again for Sabotaging Peace: Peskov on the Status of Trump Envoys' Visit to Russia ![Dmitry Peskov against a blue backdrop comments on Kyiv's alleged sabotage of peace talks and the status of Trump's envoys visit to Russia](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/20/peskov-kreml-mir-ukraina-vitkoff-kushner/peskov-kreml-mir-ukraina-vitkoff-kushner-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Peskov stated that there are no prerequisites for a peaceful settlement and linked this to Kyiv's position. - Exact dates for the possible visit of Witkoff and Kushner to Russia have not been determined. - The Kremlin called the American envoys 'desirable interlocutors' for Putin. - Since the beginning of 2026, Witkoff and Kushner have visited Moscow but have not visited Kyiv. On August 20, 2026, Russian President’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov once again stated that there are currently no prerequisites for a peaceful resolution of the conflict surrounding Ukraine. According to him, the lack of progress in the negotiation track is directly linked to Kyiv’s position, which, according to the Kremlin, allegedly shows no willingness to compromise. Thus, Moscow has once again shifted the blame for the deadlock onto the Ukrainian side, despite the fact that it is Russian troops that continue active hostilities on the front lines. ### Rhetoric of an 'Impossible Peace' as a Constant Narrative Such a thesis is not new to Russian propaganda: in recent months, Kremlin representatives have systematically reproduced the formula that peace is 'impossible due to Kyiv's position.' Experts note that such rhetoric allows Moscow to formally maintain the appearance of willingness to negotiate while, in fact, taking no steps toward de-escalation and continuing military pressure. In Peskov's statement on August 20, this line was brought to a standard level: no specific conditions from the Russian side were named, and all blame for the lack of peace was placed on the adversary. ### Visit of Witkoff and Kushner: Dates Undetermined Separately, the Kremlin spokesperson commented on the possible trip to Russia by U.S. President's Special Representative Steve Witkoff and the American leader's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. According to Peskov, the exact dates of such a visit have not yet been determined. At the same time, he emphasized that both envoys remain 'desirable interlocutors' for the Russian side and personally for Vladimir Putin, which formally confirms Moscow's willingness to contact the Trump team. ### Contradictory Data There are noticeable discrepancies between Kremlin statements and the actual dynamics of contacts. On the one hand, Peskov calls Witkoff and Kushner 'desirable interlocutors,' while on the other, he does not name a single specific date for the visit, whereas sources previously reported that American envoys would travel to Russia and Ukraine only if there were new grounds for discussion, and that there would be no visit 'for a photo session.' Furthermore, the rhetoric about the 'impossibility of peace due to Kyiv' contradicts objective reality: it is Russia that continues the attacks, not Ukraine that is sabotaging negotiations. Finally, since the beginning of 2026, Witkoff and Kushner have visited Moscow several times but have yet to visit Kyiv, which casts doubt on the thesis of equal and balanced U.S. mediation. ### Context and Significance for the Negotiation Track Peskov's statement on August 20, 2026, marks the stagnation of the diplomatic track: neither side is demonstrating a willingness to make concessions, and the role of American mediators remains undefined due to the lack of specific agreements on dates and the agenda. For Kyiv, this means the continuation of information pressure from Moscow, which is trying to cement in the international discourse the narrative of 'Ukraine's unwillingness to make peace.' For Washington — the risk that without a clear agenda, the envoys' visits to Russia will not lead to a breakthrough but will only reinforce the Kremlin's image as a party formally open to dialogue. ### Conclusions The outcome of the August 20 statement is the absence of real shifts in the negotiation process and the preservation of information warfare as the main tool. The Kremlin continues to shift the blame for the lack of peace onto Kyiv, while the status of the visit of American mediators remains in limbo: formally they are 'desirable,' but in fact — without dates and without a guaranteed agenda. Observers should watch whether a specific date for Witkoff and Kushner's trip will appear in the coming weeks and whether it will be accompanied by a visit to Kyiv, which would be the first sign of real, rather than declarative, progress toward a settlement. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Kremlin Again Claims Peace is Impossible and Shifts Blame to Kyiv](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/kremli-znovu-zayavili-nemozhlivist-miru-y-1787222952.html) - Подтверждает заявление Пескова об отсутствии предпосылок для мира и перекладывании вины на Киев. - [Peskov States There Are No Prerequisites for Optimism Regarding Ukraine](https://www.kp.ru/online/news/7131894/) - Подтверждает тезис об отсутствии предпосылок для оптимизма в переговорном треке. - [No Prerequisites for Optimism - Kremlin on Russia-Ukraine Negotiations](https://www.trud.ru/article/20-08-2026/1829451_predposylok_dlja_optimizma_net--kreml_o_peregovorax_rossii_i_ukrainy.html) - Подтверждает дату 20.08.2026 и формулировку «предпосылок для оптимизма нет». - [Kremlin Says What Kyiv Must Do to End the SMO](https://news.mail.ru/politics/71662112/) - Подтверждает линию перекладывания ответственности на Киев. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What did Peskov say about a peaceful settlement on August 20, 2026? **A:** He stated that there are currently no prerequisites for a peaceful settlement and linked this to Kyiv's position. ### Q: Have the dates for Witkoff and Kushner's visit to Russia been determined? **A:** No, according to Peskov, there are no exact dates for such a visit yet, although both are named 'desirable interlocutors'. ### Q: Have Trump's envoys visited Kyiv since the beginning of 2026? **A:** No, they have visited Moscow several times but have not yet visited Kyiv. ### Q: Are there contradictions in the Kremlin's statements? **A:** Yes: on the one hand, the envoys are called 'desirable,' while on the other, there are no dates or a guaranteed agenda; also, the rhetoric about 'Kyiv's blame' contradicts the fact of continued attacks by the Russian Federation.