Expectations for Witkoff and Kushner's Moscow visit are pessimistic - Bloomberg
Photo: Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are seeking to restart talks in Moscow on ending Russia's war against Ukraine. However, hopes for this are minimal, Bloomberg reports.
Are there any hopes?
Witkoff and Kushner are expected to arrive in Moscow for talks on September 5. However, Russia is expressing pessimism about the prospects of reaching a deal to end the war in Ukraine.
According to people close to the Kremlin, expectations for the visit are extremely low.
Previous trips by Witkoff and Kushner to Russia did not lead to any progress. There is also no reason to believe that Trump's representatives will bring acceptable proposals this time, they said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to end the war only on his own terms. Russia's demands are now becoming tougher, as Moscow believes it has the military advantage, anonymous sources told the outlet.
What is known about the visit to Ukraine
Witkoff and Kushner will travel from Moscow to Ukraine on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on the evening of September 4. He noted that Kyiv's goal is to make the visit "as constructive and substantive as possible."
"We need to look for real options for how to move this war toward an end," Zelenskyy said. Ukraine will not carry out airstrikes during the visit and expects Russia to reciprocate, the president said.
RBC-Ukraine also reported that Witkoff and Kushner had planned to visit Kyiv on Ukraine's Independence Day, but this did not happen. According to media reports, Russian strikes were the reason.
In addition, the US is urging Ukraine to temporarily halt drone attacks on Moscow and energy facilities in Russia while Kushner and Witkoff are in Russia.
