US special envoy Steve Witkoff said American negotiators achieved "substantive progress" in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war after completing a rare shuttle between Moscow and Kyiv, with both sides honoring a three-day halt in strikes during the diplomatic push.
Witkoff said US negotiators "visited both Moscow and Kyiv in order to facilitate additional dialogue to end the Russia-Ukraine War," and that the Russians and Ukrainians had agreed ahead of the trip to the no-shoot policy.
Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, arrived in Moscow on Saturday and were met at the airport by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, a key interlocutor for the Trump administration's peace efforts. US outlet Axios reported the pair was expected to meet President Vladimir Putin before traveling on to Kyiv.
The visit unfolded as Trump suggested on Friday a new proposal to end the war, without providing any details on what it might contain. Both sides said they would halt airstrikes for the duration of the visit.
The trip comes at what The New York Times described as a precarious moment in the Ukraine conflict, after peace efforts floundered in recent months. Trump made ending the war a priority early in his second term, but his administration's efforts have so far yielded little.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- This is the first high-level US envoy visit to both Moscow and Kyiv since peace efforts stalled, signaling Washington is attempting a new diplomatic tack.
- Russia and Ukraine both agreeing to a three-day no-shoot policy suggests the two sides remain willing to engage despite the battlefield stalemate.
- The outcome will test whether Trump can deliver on his stated second-term priority of ending the war.
Background
Trump made ending the Russia-Ukraine war a priority early in his second term, but his administration's efforts have so far produced little. Witkoff, the president's special envoy, and Kushner, his son-in-law, have become central figures in the administration's Ukraine diplomacy. Kirill Dmitriev, who greeted the envoys at the Moscow airport, has served as a key Russian contact for the Trump administration's negotiating efforts.
Key Perspectives
Russia: Moscow hosted the envoys, sent a senior representative to receive them at the airport, and agreed to the strike pause — signs it remains open to renewed dialogue.
Ukraine: Kyiv also agreed to the no-shoot policy and hosted the delegation, indicating a continued willingness to talk, though its core demands over territory remain unresolved.
Critics/Skeptics: Previous peace efforts have yielded little, and Trump floated a "new proposal" on Friday without disclosing its contents. The visit itself, coming at a precarious moment in the conflict, is no guarantee of a breakthrough.
What to Watch
- Whether the envoys secured a face-to-face meeting with Putin during the Moscow leg of the trip.
- Any details that emerge about Trump's new proposal, which remains undisclosed.
- Whether the three-day no-shoot policy is extended or collapses once the diplomatic delegation departs.