Bloomberg reported that the visit by Witkoff and Kushner to Moscow is expected to
U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are scheduled to arrive in Moscow on September 5 to try to resume negotiations on ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. At the same time, expectations for their visit are very low—according to Bloomberg, sources close to the Kremlin see no prospects for a quick agreement. Moscow also believes that Vladimir Putin is ready to end the war only on terms favorable to Russia.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are preparing for another trip to Russia. The American representatives are set to hold talks in Moscow on September 5 and attempt to break the deadlock in a process that has recently effectively stalled. According to the publication, Russia does not expect significant results from the meeting. Sources speaking to Bloomberg described the prospects for reaching an agreement as extremely low.
The reason is that previous contacts between U.S. representatives and Russian authorities have not yielded any noticeable results. Witkoff has already met with Russian representatives several times, including Vladimir Putin. Kushner has also participated in diplomatic efforts to end the war. However, previous trips and negotiations did not lead to an agreement to cease hostilities.
Now the U.S. side is once again trying to bring the negotiations back to an active phase. Witkoff and Kushner are set to discuss with Russian leadership possible ways to end the war and try to identify common ground for further negotiations. However, according to Bloomberg sources, Moscow does not believe the situation will change dramatically this time.
The publication’s sources claim that the Kremlin sees no reason to expect proposals from Trump’s representatives that Russia could accept. At the same time, according to Bloomberg, Russia’s position on the war is becoming increasingly hardline. Vladimir Putin, the publication’s sources say, is willing to agree to an end to the war only on Moscow’s terms. The Russian leadership believes it has the upper hand on the battlefield and therefore sees no need to make significant concessions.
This could become one of the main challenges for the U.S. diplomatic mission. It is important for the U.S. to achieve at least some progress in the negotiations. Donald Trump has repeatedly stated his desire to end the war and reach an agreement between Kyiv and Moscow. However, the parties’ positions remain far apart. Russia continues to insist on its own demands, while Ukraine advocates for a just end to the war and reliable security guarantees.
Therefore, the mere fact that Witkopf and Kushner met with Russian leadership does not yet mean that the parties have moved closer to an agreement. It is also important to note that Bloomberg’s assessments are based on anonymous sources close to the Kremlin. Their statements reflect the position and sentiments of a segment of the Russian leadership, but do not constitute an official statement from Moscow.
Despite pessimistic expectations, the talks may serve as an attempt to test whether Russia is willing to at least partially adjust its position. This will be one of the key issues during the visit by the American representatives. For now, however, according to Bloomberg, Moscow does not expect a quick breakthrough. Russia appears to continue believing that it has a strong enough position to demand an end to the war on its own terms.
Therefore, the main question surrounding the upcoming meeting is whether Witkoff and Kushner will be able to convince the Kremlin to adopt a more flexible stance and whether, following the talks, there will be real grounds to discuss resuming the peace process. Bloomberg reports this, citing people close to the Kremlin.
The U.S. has asked Ukraine to temporarily suspend drone strikes on Moscow and Russian energy facilities during the visit of U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The New York Times reports this, citing U.S. officials. Washington also expects Russia to halt missile attacks on Kyiv during this period.
U.S. presidential representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia and Ukraine in the coming days. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, they will first travel to Moscow and then arrive in Kyiv on Sunday, where they will hold talks with Ukrainian officials.
