Key facts
- U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to visit Russia and Ukraine.
- Plans for the visit are not finalized due to U.S. security concerns.
- Washington is seeking safety commitments from both Russia and Ukraine.
- The Kremlin declined to comment on reports of the visit.
- Significant gaps remain between Russia and Ukraine on ending the war.
Plans for U.S. peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to visit Russia and Ukraine this weekend remain unfinalized due to security concerns, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters. Russian state news agency TASS and U.S. news outlet Axios separately reported that the two envoys would visit Moscow and Kyiv in the coming days.
However, the U.S. is still seeking commitments from both sides to ensure the safety of the negotiators before they could travel. Reports indicate Witkoff has expressed apprehension about the safety of the trip. Washington is seeking assurances that Ukraine would not strike Moscow and Russia would not attack Kyiv during the envoys' visit, with terms for such an agreement reportedly under discussion.
The Kremlin has declined to comment on the reports. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated there would be no direct agreements between Russia and Ukraine on the issue, though he indicated the U.S. would likely demand such a commitment from Kyiv.
A vast gulf remains between Russia and Ukraine on how to end the 4-1/2-year-old war. Peskov reiterated that Russia's position, which includes Ukraine ceding territory and abandoning NATO aspirations, is unshakeable. Ukraine refuses to surrender land and rejects such terms as tantamount to surrender. A source close to the Kremlin suggested Putin remains intent on capturing more territory.
Witkoff and Kushner last visited Moscow in January, holding talks with President Vladimir Putin. They have yet to visit Ukraine. The last U.S.-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine took place in February.