--- title: "Witkoff and Kushner Head to Moscow: Putin's Inner Circle Doubts a Breakthrough on Ukraine" description: "Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrive in Moscow on September 5 for negotiations on Ukraine, after which they plan a visit to Kyiv. In Putin's inner circle, expectations of the meeting are extremely low." date: 2026-09-04T18:32:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/witkoff-and-kushner-in-moscow-ukraine-talks tags: [trump-envoys, ukraine-war, moscow-talks, kushner, witkoff, ceasefire] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Witkoff and Kushner Head to Moscow: Putin's Inner Circle Doubts a Breakthrough on Ukraine ![Stephen Witkoff and Jared Kushner in front of the US flag ahead of their Moscow trip for Ukraine talks](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/04/uitkoff-i-kushner-v-moskve-peregovory-po-ukraine/uitkoff-i-kushner-v-moskve-peregovory-po-ukraine-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Witkoff and Kushner arrive in Moscow on September 5, 2026, after which they plan a trip to Kyiv on Sunday, September 6. - According to anonymous sources close to the Kremlin, expectations of the visit are extremely low, and previous trips yielded no progress. - Zelenskyy announced a moratorium on Ukrainian airstrikes during the visit and expects reciprocity from Russia. 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. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [Expectations of Witkoff and Kushner's visit to Moscow are pessimistic, - Bloomberg](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ochikuvannya-vid-vizitu-vitkoffa-i-kushnera-1788546577.html) - Π‘ΠΎΠ²ΠΏΠ°Π΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ с Π±Π°Π·ΠΎΠ²Ρ‹ΠΌ тСкстом: Π°Π½ΠΎΠ½ΠΈΠΌΠ½Ρ‹Π΅ источники Π±Π»ΠΈΠ·ΠΊΠΈΠ΅ ΠΊ ΠšΡ€Π΅ΠΌΠ»ΡŽ, Π½ΠΈΠ·ΠΊΠΈΠ΅ оТидания, ΠΏΡ€Π΅ΠΆΠ½ΠΈΠ΅ ΠΏΠΎΠ΅Π·Π΄ΠΊΠΈ Π±Π΅Π· прогрСсса. - [Axios learned that Witkoff and Kushner will visit Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend](https://www.interfax.ru/world/1113252) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ ΠΌΠ°Ρ€ΡˆΡ€ΡƒΡ‚ Москва + КиСв Π½Π° Π²Ρ‹Ρ…ΠΎΠ΄Π½Ρ‹Ρ…. - [Trump stated that Witkoff and Kushner will come to Moscow with a proposal on Ukraine](https://news.rambler.ru/world/57017164-tramp-zayavil-chto-uitkoff-i-kushner-priedut-v-moskvu-s-predlozheniem-po-ukraine/) - ΠŸΡƒΠ±Π»ΠΈΡ‡Π½Π°Ρ позиция Π’Ρ€Π°ΠΌΠΏΠ° ΠΎ Π½Π°Π»ΠΈΡ‡ΠΈΠΈ прСдлоТСния; источник для Π±Π»ΠΎΠΊΠ° ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΡ‚ΠΈΠ²ΠΎΡ€Π΅Ρ‡ΠΈΠΉ. - [Trump stated that Witkoff and Kushner will bring a peace plan on Ukraine to Moscow](https://snob.ru/news/tramp-zaiavil-chto-uitkoff-i-kushner-privezut-v-moskvu-mirnyi-plan-po-ukraine/) - Π”ΡƒΠ±Π»ΠΈΡ€ΡƒΠ΅Ρ‚ Ρ„ΠΎΡ€ΠΌΡƒΠ»ΠΈΡ€ΠΎΠ²ΠΊΡƒ ΠΎ Β«ΠΌΠΈΡ€Π½ΠΎΠΌ ΠΏΠ»Π°Π½Π΅Β»; использовано Π² Π±Π»ΠΎΠΊΠ΅ ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΡ‚ΠΈΠ²ΠΎΡ€Π΅Ρ‡ΠΈΠΉ. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: When do Witkoff and Kushner arrive in Moscow and Kyiv? **A:** They arrive in Moscow on September 5, 2026, and in Kyiv, according to Zelenskyy, they plan to go on Sunday, September 6. ### Q: What are the expectations of the visit in Moscow? **A:** According to anonymous sources close to the Kremlin, expectations are extremely low: previous trips yielded no progress, and, as Moscow believes, the American side has no proposals acceptable to Russia. ### Q: What did Ukraine state in connection with the visit? **A:** Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will not carry out airstrikes during the visit and expects reciprocity from Russia, as well as that real options for ending the war need to be sought.