RT

5 Sep, 2026

Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are bringing a “proposal to end the war” to Moscow and Kiev.

The “situational pause” in US President Donald Trump’s effort to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict has seemingly come to an end, with his diplomatic envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, on the ground in Moscow and expected to later stop in Kiev.

The mediation process has been on hold due to the crisis in the Middle East, and the twin visits have been anticipated for months already.

Here is RT’s breakdown of where the peace process stands:

A visit to both capitals?

Witkoff and Kushner have arrived in Moscow for talks anticipated to take place on Saturday. They were greeted at Vnukovo airport on Saturday by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, who previously held several rounds of talks with both envoys in Russia and the US.

After a 3.5-hour lunch with Dmitriev, Witkoff and Kushner arrived in the Kremlin, where they held talks with Putin.

Earlier on Friday, the US president said his envoys would bring a “proposal to end the war” to both Moscow and Kiev, but refrained from further details on the upcoming trips.

At source told RT at that time that visits to the Russian and the Ukrainian capitals could happen over the weekend.

Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Trump’s envoys “are always welcome guests, and we are pleased to work with them,” appearing to hint at the upcoming visit. Neither Washington nor Moscow, however, gave any official estimate on when exactly the trip might happen. Both men have been on missions to Moscow during Trump’s second term, yet neither traveled to Kiev, with the disparity openly bemoaned by Vladimir Zelensky.

Ukraine back on agenda

Trump proclaimed his intent to turn back to trying to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict at the G7 summit in France in June, when it was anticipated the conflict with Iran would be settled shortly.

“Now that this [Iran war] is finished, we are gonna be focusing on that [Ukraine conflict] and see if we can get that one done,” he told reporters, referring to the memorandum of understanding with Tehran.

The hostilities between the US and Iran, however, have continued despite the signing of the memorandum. Both sides have accused one another of breaching the agreements, repeatedly exchanging strikes over the past few weeks. The continuing hostilities have apparently derailed Trump’s plans to focus on Ukraine, with mediation efforts appearing to resume more than two months later than expected.

European reaction

The prospect of renewed US diplomacy has reportedly unsettled EU officials, who fear Europe could again be sidelined if Washington pursues direct talks with Moscow.

“Having Trump be distracted was not necessarily a bad thing,” one EU diplomat told Politico.

French President Emmanuel Macron insisted Europe must be involved in any settlement talks, arguing that it now bears much of the burden of supporting Kiev.

“The right kind of negotiation is one with Ukraine and Russia sitting around the table, and the Europeans and Americans by their side,” he told TF1.

Where do the talks stand?

After Washington resumed direct contacts with Moscow following years of diplomatic freeze under Joe Biden, Russia, Ukraine and the US held three rounds of talks aimed at reaching a settlement – two in Abu Dhabi in January and February, followed by a third in Geneva later that month.

The negotiations made some progress but failed to produce a peace deal, with key disagreements persisting, particularly over territorial issues.

A new round expected in March was postponed after Washington shifted its focus to the Iran war. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov subsequently said the trilateral negotiating process was “on pause,” while Moscow continued contacts with Washington.

What settlements have been proposed?

Following the Alaska summit, Washington developed a 28-point peace roadmap based in part on proposals discussed with Moscow. The leaked draft called for Ukraine to abandon its NATO ambitions, withdraw its forces from parts of Donbass still under Kiev’s control, and cap its military at 600,000 personnel.

Moscow said the proposal could serve as a basis for a settlement, although some provisions required further work. The framework was subsequently revised following US-Ukrainian talks in Geneva. Trump said the original 28 points had been reduced to 22, while Putin later said the proposals had been divided into four separate components and passed to Moscow.

A subsequent 20-point framework worked out by Washington and Kiev envisaged an 800,000-strong Ukrainian military in peacetime, Western security guarantees, reconstruction measures and a path toward EU membership. The document had not been agreed with Moscow.

The framework has continued to evolve. Russian officials have said Moscow is prepared to discuss the revised US proposals, while insisting that any settlement should build on the understandings reached between Putin and Trump in Alaska.

What are the next steps?

On Tuesday, Trump discussed Ukraine with Zelensky and other leaders during a closed-door G7 session and later held a separate meeting with the Ukrainian leader. While details were not disclosed, Zelensky said afterward that it was important to “coordinate positions.”

Meanwhile, Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to resume contacts with Moscow after shifting their focus to the Iran war. Putin aide Yury Ushakov said preparations are under way following Sunday’s call between the Russian and US presidents.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said no dates had been set and that the issue will likely be revisited after Washington signs its memorandum with Tehran.

Europeans split

European countries remain divided between those favoring engagement with Moscow and those seeking to maintain pressure on Russia.

Hungary and Slovakia have urged direct dialogue with Moscow and criticized policies they say prolong the conflict.

Those seeking to maintain pressure, which includes Poland, the Baltic states and much of the EU leadership, argues that political, economic and military pressure must continue. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated that stance on Monday, calling support for Ukraine a top G7 priority.

France and Germany occupy a middle ground, backing continued aid to Kiev while acknowledging that any lasting settlement will require negotiations with Russia. That approach was tested last week when French, British, and German envoys met Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin in Moscow. According to Russia, however, they merely repeated calls for a ceasefire and security guarantees for Ukraine, prompting Moscow to argue that the countries arming Kiev cannot act as neutral mediators.

Trump’s position

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly claimed he could end the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours through direct diplomacy, though he later acknowledged that a settlement would be harder to achieve.

Since returning to office, he has criticized both Moscow and Kiev at various times, accusing each side of hindering peace efforts, while consistently arguing that the conflict should be resolved through negotiations rather than prolonged fighting.

After speaking with Putin and Zelensky on Sunday, Trump described both conversations as “very good” and said both leaders were “very open” to peace. According to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, he also told Putin he was prepared to “influence” Kiev and its European backers toward a settlement.

Speaking at the G7, Trump said he would “look” at what could be done regarding Ukraine, while suggesting the conflict was of limited importance to the US, adding that “it has no impact on us other than we sell weapons.”

Zelensky’s demands

Amid mounting battlefield pressure, Zelensky has insisted on securing a temporary ceasefire and continued Western support, while maintaining that Ukraine will not formally recognize Moscow’s sovereignty over territories that joined Russia through referendums.

He has also opposed any settlement negotiated directly between Moscow and Washington without Kiev’s participation, also insisting that Ukraine’s European backers be included in the process.

Russia’s stance

Moscow has consistently opposed freezing the conflict, arguing that a temporary ceasefire would only give Kiev time to rearm. It insists that any settlement must address the root causes of the conflict, including Ukrainian troop withdrawals from Russian territories, protections for Russian speakers, and Ukraine’s neutrality and non-nuclear status.

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June, Putin said Russia remained committed to a settlement based on understandings reached with Trump in Alaska, but blamed Kiev for blocking progress. He later told Trump that Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure and proposals supported by Zelensky and his European backers were hindering peace efforts and prolonging the conflict.

Amid reports that Zelensky had invited Putin to meet on the sidelines of the G7 summit, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no official channel existed to convey such a proposal. He added that if Zelensky is ready for “serious” talks, he remains welcome in Moscow.

Zelensky reiterated that he was not prepared to meet in Russia, suggesting Türkiye, Switzerland, or the Middle East as alternative venues.

Via https://www.rt.com/news/641667-trump-resume-ukraine-peace-efforts/