A special American plane landed this Saturday at Vnúkovo Airport in Moscow, carrying the special envoys of President Donald Trump, according to a report by EFE citing flight tracking and Russian media.
The identified emissaries are Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are traveling with a peace proposal aimed at revitalizing negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, according to reports from the TASS agency gathered by multiple international media.
Upon arrival, they were welcomed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who stated at the beginning of the discussions that the situation in Ukraine is "challenging."
The planned itinerary also includes that both officials will visit Kyiv on Sunday and meet with Ukrainian representatives, according to sources cited by PBS and media specialized in the conflict.
The proposal brought by the envoys was adjusted from an initial draft of 28 points to a framework of 19 points, following consultations with Kyiv and European allies who deemed the original version overly favorable to Moscow, according to Reuters and The Wall Street Journal.
Putin praised U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to end a war that has already lasted four and a half years: “Understanding that he is entering a difficult situation, nevertheless, he does not stop his efforts to help achieve an agreement and make his contribution to the resolution of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict,” said Putin.
The previous plan included conditions that Ukraine rejected: giving up Donbas, limiting its armed forces to 600,000 troops, and dismissing its accession to NATO, according to AP News reported. The unresolved points are the territorial status—especially Donbas and Crimea—and security guarantees for Ukraine.
Before the trip, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a call with Witkoff and Kushner, which the Ukrainian presidency described as "detailed and constructive."
Ukraine and Russia agreed today to a three-day truce in which they will pause their airstrikes to facilitate negotiations.
This visit comes just ten days after the CIA Director, John Ratcliffe, made a surprise trip to Moscow aboard a C-17 Globemaster III from the U.S. Air Force, on a mission interpreted as one of intelligence and discreet diplomacy.
The Kremlin later described those contacts between the intelligence agencies of both countries as "positive."
This Saturday's trip represents the most organized attempt to date by Washington: it is the first time that envoys have visited both capitals on consecutive days with a formal proposal.
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