U.S. Envoys Set for Moscow, Kyiv Visits

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to visit Moscow and Kyiv on Sunday as diplomatic efforts continue over the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address published Sept. 4. Zelenskyy said Ukraine was preparing for the visit and seeking substantive discussions on ways to end the conflict.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine would help ensure the safe arrival of the American negotiators and called for Russia to observe a temporary halt in air strikes during the visit and related logistical arrangements. He said Kyiv would assess the proposals presented by the U.S. representatives and Russia’s response.

The Ukrainian president also cited ongoing discussions with Egypt, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on maritime export corridors and global food security. He said Russian strikes on Ukrainian ports threatened food shipments and could contribute to food and cost-of-living crises in countries dependent on those supplies.

Zelenskyy said a strike on Kyiv had injured 12 people and reported attacks in several other regions, including Kharkiv, Sumy, Kherson, Odesa, Dnipro and Donetsk. He said he had approved proposals from Ukraine’s security and military authorities for responses to the strikes, without providing details or a timetable.