'An Idea For Peace': Trump Says Kushner, Witkoff Taking US Plan To End Ukraine War To Moscow

US President Donald Trump said Friday that his envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are heading to Moscow with an American proposal aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

“They’re bringing with them a proposal to end the war,” Trump told reporters, without revealing details of the plan. He also stopped short of saying whether Ukraine would be expected to give up territory, an issue that has complicated previous attempts to reach a settlement.

“We have an idea for peace,” Trump said.

Trump described Kushner, his son-in-law, and Witkoff, a businessman who has become a key US negotiator, as “great negotiators”. He said there was a “good chance” their mission could produce progress.

“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.

Envoys Set for Moscow and Kyiv Talks

Kushner and Witkoff, who have also been involved in US diplomatic efforts over ceasefires in Gaza and Iran, have previously travelled to Moscow for negotiations and faced criticism for taking a softer stance towards Russia.

Their latest mission is expected to take them first to Moscow, where they could meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, before travelling to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

A senior Ukrainian official told AFP that the pair were expected in Kyiv on Sunday. The Kremlin has not commented on the reported schedule.

The visit would mark Kushner’s and Witkoff’s first trip to Kyiv since Trump returned to the White House last year.

Zelenskyy Offers Truce During Talks

Zelenskyy has proposed a temporary halt to air strikes while the American envoys hold their meetings.

“There will be no airstrikes on our part,” he said, calling on Russia to reciprocate with a ceasefire for as long as needed to conduct the talks.

The war began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has continued despite repeated diplomatic efforts.

Trump has blamed the conflict partly on what he described as a “personality problem” between Putin and Zelenskyy. He has also defended his relationship with Putin, saying the Russian leader is not seeking to attack NATO territory.

Trump has repeatedly pushed European countries to take on more of the financial burden of supporting Ukraine. On Thursday, he said he would seek reimbursement from European nations for American aid provided to Kyiv under former President Joe Biden.

(With inputs from AFP)