Key facts
- U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to visit Kyiv in the second half of August.
- The visit was reportedly brokered during a meeting between President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.
- Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.S. Olha Stefanishyna confirmed the intention for the envoys to travel to Kyiv, but a date has not been set.
- This would mark the first visit to Ukraine for either envoy.
- Witkoff and Kushner have previously met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are reportedly expected to visit Kyiv in the latter half of August, according to a report by Alex Raufoglu, a senior correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, citing sources familiar with the plans. The visit is intended to coincide with celebrations marking the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's independence.
While the intention for the envoys to travel to Ukraine has been indicated by Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.S. Olha Stefanishyna, she noted that a specific date has not yet been confirmed. If the visit materializes, it would be the first time either Witkoff or Kushner has traveled to Ukraine. The planned trip was reportedly arranged during a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on July 28.
Sources familiar with discussions indicated that while the meeting between Trump and Zelensky yielded few concrete outcomes for Kyiv, persuading Witkoff and Kushner to visit the Ukrainian capital may have been a breakthrough. Prior to the White House meeting, Zelensky had also spoken with Witkoff and Kushner about renewed peace efforts. Despite multiple trips to Russia, including a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on January 22, the envoys have not yet visited Kyiv. Conservative commentator Laura Loomer also recently raised the prospect of a visit with Trump during a call from Kyiv.
The reports emerge amid a perceived shift in the U.S. government's stance on Ukraine. President Trump recently announced that Washington would grant Ukraine licenses to produce its own Patriot interceptors, a development that occurred alongside Zelensky at the NATO summit in Turkey. This announcement is seen as a significant gain for Ukraine, which is experiencing a shortage of defensive weapons against Russian ballistic missiles. Additionally, the U.S. Senate recently advanced a Russian sanctions bill championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, which targets countries purchasing Russian oil and gas to cut off Moscow's war funding.