By The Moscow Times | Created at 2026-09-05 10:35:12 | Updated at 2026-09-05 11:36:19
1 hour ago
U.S. special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow, where they will meet with Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, according to Reuters sources.
Dmitriev, who told Reuters in June that he had remained in contact with the U.S. negotiators during a pause in their visits to Russia, took part in all their previous meetings with President Vladimir Putin. He also helped negotiate U.S. sanction waivers for Russian oil this year.
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Friday that the U.S. had a fresh concrete proposal aimed at ending the war, which is now in its fifth year. He did not, however, elaborate on what that proposal would be.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday the two men would fly to Ukraine on Sunday after visiting Moscow. In an X post on Saturday, Zelenskiy said Russia hit two Ukrainian airports ahead of U.S. envoys' visit to Kyiv.
A vast gulf remains between Russia and Ukraine on how to end the war, the deadliest in Europe since World War II.
The Kremlin said on Friday the position that Putin set out in a speech two years ago — that Ukraine should cede the entire territory of the four regions claimed by Russia and abandon its plan to join NATO — was “unshakeable.”
Since the last peace talks in February, each side has intensified long-range air attacks deep inside the other's territory, while the war at sea has also escalated.
On the ground, the front lines have remained largely static, with Russia making only gradual gains in its attempt to take the whole of Ukraine's Donbas region.
Ukraine's drone strikes on Russian oil refineries have led to a summer of fuel shortages and rising prices for Russian motorists, while some 30 attacks on warehouses belonging mostly to Wildberries, the country's biggest online retailer, have affected the consumer economy.
A Russian drone attack hit the headquarters of Ukraine's SBU security service in Kyiv on Friday — the 10th consecutive day of heavy attacks on the capital. Zelensky vowed to retaliate.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
