Special presidential envoys of U.S. President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, plan to visit Moscow and Kyiv on September 5–6, 2026, in an attempt to resume negotiations on a peace agreement that could end Russia's war against Ukraine. This was reported by The New York Times, citing several U.S. officials familiar with the diplomatic efforts. According to the outlet, preparations for the trip had been underway for several weeks, although the visit had not yet been officially announced by Washington.

Security conditions: a temporary freeze on strikes

The key condition put forward by the American side is a temporary cessation of attacks during the negotiators' stay in each capital. Specifically, the US is insisting that Ukraine suspend drone strikes on Moscow and Russian energy infrastructure while Witkoff and Kushner are on Russian territory. Symmetrically, Washington is demanding that Moscow halt missile attacks on Kyiv during the time the American representatives are in the Ukrainian capital. According to officials familiar with the details, these conditions have been discussed for several weeks and are, in essence, a guarantee of the physical safety of the negotiators themselves.

The main sticking point: who controls the Donbas

The New York Times emphasizes that it remains unclear whether the American envoys intend to put forward fundamentally new proposals to the heads of state, or whether their task is to push the parties toward agreeing on issues already under discussion. According to the outlet, the central and most difficult of these remains the question of control over the Donbas. It is precisely this point, diplomatic sources note, that has been blocking a compromise throughout the entire negotiation process.

Background: postponed visits and breakdowns

The trip by Witkoff and Kushner to Kyiv is not the first announced but unfulfilled one. As early as May 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly stated that he was expecting a visit from the American special envoys, but they never arrived. Later, media reports emerged about a possible reception of the negotiators on Ukraine's Independence Day (August 24), but that scenario did not materialize either. According to Ukrainian media, the reason was the ongoing Russian strikes on infrastructure, which made the trip unsafe. In the end, Zelensky confirmed that Witkoff and Kushner would visit Kyiv on September 6, and emphasized that during this period Russia should suspend its attacks.

Contradictory data

Certain discrepancies in the chronology and details are noted in open sources. On the one hand, The New York Times and RBC-Ukraine report on a trip being prepared to both capitals on September 5–6. On the other hand, the Ukrainian outlet UNIAN had earlier published a piece headlined "Why Witkoff and Kushner Are Not Going to Kyiv: Media Find Out the Real Reason," which created the impression of a complete breakdown of the visit. Moreover, according to Mignews, the American negotiators canceled a planned visit to Israel in recent days, which could have indicated a reshaping of their diplomatic schedule in favor of the Moscow–Kyiv route. Thus, part of the information is based on anonymous sources and has not been officially confirmed by the White House, the Kremlin, or the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Context and significance

If the trip takes place within the stated framework, it will become one of the most significant diplomatic steps by the Trump administration toward resolving the conflict since its beginning. The format of "simultaneous presence" in both capitals, with the condition of a mutual halt to strikes, is, in essence, an attempt to create a temporary "window of silence" in which long-standing disagreements could be worked out. However, without official confirmation from Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv, all details remain at the level of leaks from anonymous sources, which requires caution in interpretation.