U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were heading to Moscow and then Kyiv on 5–6 September 2026 as Washington tried to restart talks on ending Russia’s war on Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the pair would visit Kyiv on Sunday, 6 September, after Moscow — their first reported trip to Ukraine. Russia’s state news agency TASS said they would be in Moscow on Saturday and Sunday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not confirm the dates at a briefing.
The mission is happening while the air war on Kyiv is getting worse, not quieter. See Russia’s intensified drone campaign.
What Washington and Kyiv say they want
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters the envoys were bringing a proposal “to end the war.” He would not say whether it involved Ukraine ceding territory, which he has floated before. “We have an idea for peace,” he said.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s team is in near-constant contact with the U.S. side and is ready for “substantive, high-level negotiations.” In a Friday address he said: “We need to look for realistic options for bringing this war to an end. We’ll see what proposals Steve and Jared have, and what Moscow has to say about them.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said he saw a “new dynamic” in peace efforts. That optimism sits on a thin base. U.S.-backed talks had largely stalled after the U.S. and Israel opened a war on Iran in March. Witkoff and Kushner were last in Moscow in January.
The air-truce request
Zelenskyy offered a one-way pause. He said Ukraine would “ensure the normal functioning of Russian airspace” so the negotiators can arrive safely, and that there would be “no airstrikes on our part.” He asked Russia to do the same for the time needed to hold the talks and handle the logistics of the U.S. visit.
That request matters because Kyiv’s skies have been closed since 2022. Foreign delegations usually arrive by rail. Reports said the envoys planned to fly, which is why a short air pause is not a side issue — it is how the visit happens.
Fighting did not pause
On 4 September, Zelenskyy said a Russian drone struck the SBU headquarters on Volodymyrska Street, opposite St. Sophia Cathedral. Kyiv officials said at least 12 people were injured. Sybiha called it “a major escalation” and said Moscow had launched the strike “during a renewed push for peace.”
Overnight into 5 September, Ukraine’s Air Force reported ballistic missiles and 167 drones. Strikes were also reported in Odesa and Dnipro. Russian attacks on the Kyiv region have been running for days; Utila covered the sixth consecutive day of Kyiv-region strikes at the start of the month.
On the Russian side, President Vladimir Putin said this week that a settlement still has a chance and that countries including the U.S. and China are ready to support a deal. After the last Moscow visit, presidential aide Yury Ushakov said talks were constructive but that a long-term settlement could not be expected “without solving the territorial issue.”
This brief is an original Utila summary of public reporting on 5 September 2026. It is not a reprint of another publisher.
Key Takeaways
- Witkoff and Kushner were due in Moscow on 5–6 September and in Kyiv on 6 September.
- Trump said they were carrying a proposal “to end the war.” He did not say whether it required Ukraine to cede territory.
- Zelenskyy said Ukraine would halt airstrikes during the Moscow visit and asked Russia for the same during the Kyiv visit.
- A 4 September drone strike hit Ukraine’s SBU headquarters; officials said at least 12 people were injured.
- Russian air attacks continued into 5 September as the envoys prepared to travel.
