On the eve of the weekend, US President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are heading to Moscow, where, according to American and Ukrainian sources, they are set to restart negotiations on ending Russia's war against Ukraine. According to information passed to RBC-Ukraine citing Bloomberg, the trip is scheduled for September 5, 2026. Kyiv confirmed the itinerary: on the evening of September 4, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that after Moscow, the US representatives intend to visit Ukraine on Sunday, that is, September 6, and Kyiv's goal is to make this visit "as constructive and substantive as possible."
Visit itinerary: Moscow first, then Kyiv
According to an Axios report cited by Interfax, Witkoff and Kushner will visit both Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend. Thus, the diplomatic tour covers both capitals over a few days. In Washington, this trip is positioned as an attempt to put concrete proposals on the table: Trump had publicly stated that his envoys would come to Moscow with a plan on Ukraine. In Kyiv, meanwhile, the pragmatic goal is emphasized: "We need to look for real options to bring this war to an end," Zelenskyy stated.
The Kremlin does not believe in a breakthrough
Despite the optimistic wording in Washington and Kyiv, expectations in Moscow, according to people close to the Kremlin, are "extremely low." Anonymous sources indicate that previous trips by Witkoff and Kushner to Russia did not lead to tangible progress, and there is as yet no reason to believe that this time Trump's representatives will bring proposals acceptable to Moscow. In Putin's inner circle, as reported by Bloomberg, pessimism about the prospects of concluding an agreement to end the war is openly expressed.
Russia's position and tightening of demands
According to the same anonymous data, Vladimir Putin is ready to stop the war only on his own terms. Moreover, Russia's demands, according to sources, are now being tightened: in Moscow they believe they hold a military advantage and are using it to raise the bar of their negotiating position. This means that even if the American side brings some text, its acceptance by Moscow is not guaranteed, and the format of "negotiations for the sake of negotiations" may persist.
Ukraine prepares the ground: moratorium on strikes
Kyiv is taking steps to ease some of the tension during the visit. Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will not carry out airstrikes during the stay of the US envoys in the country and expects reciprocity from Russia. In parallel, it is reported that the US is insisting that Ukraine temporarily halt drone attacks on Moscow and the country's energy facilities while Kushner and Witkoff are in Russia. Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that the visit to Kyiv was initially planned for Ukraine's Independence Day (August 24), but did not take place due to Russian strikes.
Contradictory data
There is a notable gap in how the parties frame the situation. On the one hand, Trump publicly stated that Witkoff and Kushner would bring to Moscow a peace plan / a concrete proposal on Ukraine (Rambler and Snob reports). On the other hand, sources close to the Kremlin claim that the American side has no acceptable proposals, and that previous visits yielded no progress (Bloomberg via RBC-Ukraine). In addition, the chronological details diverge: the previously planned visit to Kyiv on August 24 was cancelled due to strikes, and the current date of the visit to Ukraine has been moved to Sunday, September 6. Until the trip is completed and the parties issue official statements, these discrepancies remain open.
