President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that a meeting with US presidential envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff is set for Sunday in Kyiv, after the envoys’ visit to Moscow earlier the same weekend.
In a statement published on Friday, Sept. 4, Zelensky revealed that his team had received details directly from the US presidential office regarding the envoys’ itinerary.
“We are preparing for this visit,” Zelensky said, adding that “just as during previous diplomatic visits by the American side, we will ensure the normal functioning of Russian airspace so that the negotiators can arrive safely.”
His remarks came as Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko previously claimed that a Russian drone had struck an aircraft at Zhulyany Airport, officially known as Kyiv International Airport.
Though no official confirmation has been made about the strike, Honcharenko speculated that it may have been intended as a signal from Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin that he did not want to negotiate with Kyiv and Washington.
Visit months in the making
Zelensky foreshadowed the envoys’ visit on Thursday, saying that preliminary dates had been set. The visit has been in the works since late July, when the two reportedly agreed to travel to Kyiv for the first time following Zelensky’s meetings with US President Donald Trump at the White House.
Throughout the five years of the war, both officials have played central roles in peace negotiations. However, they have maintained extensive contact with Russian officials, while Ukraine’s discussions have remained outside the country.
The upcoming visit would mark the first time either envoy has visited the country since becoming Washington’s intermediaries.
Zelensky had repeatedly argued that direct exposure to the consequences of Russia’s attacks was necessary to understand Kyiv’s military and security requirements.
“Our goal is the most constructive, substantive visit and negotiations possible with the American side,” Zelensky said in Friday’s statement. “We need to look for real options to bring this war to an end. We’ll see what proposals Steve and Jared have, and what they are told about this in Moscow.”
Russian authorities hoping for new proposals
Following the CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s unexpected visit to Moscow on Aug. 25, which aimed to deter Russia from continuing the war or escalating it by attacking a NATO member, Russia increased its strikes on Kyiv and Ukraine nationwide.
As diplomacy between Russia and Ukraine remains severely strained, the visit is expected to center mainly on restarting trilateral talks involving the US.
According to Bloomberg’s Kremlin-linked sources, Moscow had already concluded that peace negotiations “reached a dead end” and now sees few alternatives to further escalation as it seeks to achieve its military objectives.
As per the same report, Russian authorities are hoping that Kushner’s and Witkoff’s visit could bring proposals, though expectations for a diplomatic breakthrough during the visit remain low.
Putin signals short-lived shift in tone while Kyiv-Washington ties deepen
Putin signaled a shift in tone on Wednesday, saying prospects still existed for Russia and Ukraine to reach an agreement following endless rejections of peace proposals.
However, he said that other countries, including the US, must support the process, but limit their role while Russia and Ukraine “first reach an agreement with each other.”
Zelensky said Ukraine received information from the US regarding the several meetings Ratcliffe held with Russian intelligence officials, both before and after they took place, highlighting that Kyiv-Washington ties have grown significantly stronger since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war.
Until 2025, Washington remained Moscow-aligned, with Trump refusing to call Russia the aggressor and blaming Ukraine for starting the war.
Trump has changed his diplomatic stance regarding Ukraine considerably in the last few months. Citing Ukraine’s battlefield success, he went as far as calling Russia the likely loser in its own war, while simultaneously floating the idea of granting Ukraine the license to domestically produce its own Patriots.
Meanwhile, Russian forces struck a Coca-Cola production facility in Brovary, Kyiv region on Thursday, adding to a series of warehouse attacks.
Zelensky framed the drone strike as “a clear Russian signal to America.”
On the same day, Russia had begun a new escalation of its aerial campaign after overnight attacks caused damage in 13 Ukrainian regions and wounded 17 people in Odesa.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 163 attack drones against Ukraine between 6 p.m. on Wednesday and 8 a.m. on Thursday, including Shahed-type drones, about half of which were jet-powered, as well as Gerbera, S8000 Banderol, and Parodiya drones.