War in Ukraine

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are due in the Ukrainian capital on Sunday following a meeting with the Russian leader today.

LAST UPDATE | 5 Sep

VLADIMIR PUTIN HAS ordered a three-day halt in Russian strikes on Kyiv for a visit to the Ukrainian capital by Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

The pair landed in Moscow earlier today, where they are due to meet the Russian leader armed with a new plan to end the war that has been ongoing for more than four years. 

They are expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday to present the same proposal. 

Peace efforts have stalled due to Trump’s war with Iran, while Moscow and Kyiv have intensified long-range missile and drone attacks, driving up civilian casualties to levels not seen since the conflict began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

“The Russian president and commander in chief… has given the order not to strike Kyiv for three days from midnight tonight,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by state news agency TASS. 

In a post on X, Zelenskyy said Ukraine would also pause strikes on Moscow for the 72-hour period “and we expect the Russians to do the same regarding Kyiv”. 

He had earlier proposed observing a ceasefire with Russia for the duration of the US envoys’ trip, after a Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s SBU security service in central Kyiv just hours before the US envoys’ trip was announced. 

Last night, the Russians struck a civilian enterprise in Kamianske, in the Dnipro region, killing four people and injuring five others. My condolences to their families and loved ones. Ordinary residential buildings were damaged in many regions – in Kherson, Boryspil, and the… pic.twitter.com/e9W8OvFA2Q

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 5, 2026

H also accused Russia of trying to disrupt the visit with overnight strikes on Kyiv’s two airports, as well as on a civilian target in the Dnipro region that killed five people.

Trump told reporters that Witkoff, a former real estate investor, and his son-in-law Kushner would seek to gauge whether progress towards peace was possible.

“I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, two great negotiators. They’ve done a great job, and we sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done. And there may be a good chance that we’ll do it,” he said.

“They’re bringing with them a proposal to end the war.”

The Republican leader would not say whether the plan involved Ukraine ceding territory as he has previously suggested, but added: “We have an idea for peace.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin giving a speech during an event to mark the 879th anniversary of the foundation of the city of Moscow at the Zaryadye Concert Hall today. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

It will be the first time that Witkoff and Kushner have visited Kyiv since Trump returned to office last year with a pledge to end the conflict “within 24 hours” of becoming president. 

The pair have travelled repeatedly to Moscow in previous attempts at diplomacy.

The renewed push for diplomacy comes as Russia and Ukraine pummel each other with long-range missile and drone attacks.

Russia’s strike on Ukraine’s SBU security service, which Zelenskyy said was aimed at the office of the agency’s acting chief, was the first on its headquarters since the start of the invasion.

Local residents watch the aftermath of a Russian drone attack on a residential building in the Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Hours later, Oleksandr Ganzha, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, said a Russian strike killed four people and wounded five in the southeastern city of Kamianske.

Witkoff and Kushner’s trip comes more than week after a rare visit to Moscow by CIA director John Ratcliffe, who warned Russia against any attack on Nato member states, according to US media.

Earlier this week, the US welcomed the Russian finance minister at a G20 gathering in North Carolina.