Ukraine offers Russia truce as US envoys visit Moscow, Kyiv
KYIV: Ukraine has proposed a temporary ceasefire with Russia to facilitate talks during planned visits by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday.
“There will be no airstrikes on our part,” Zelensky said in his evening address, calling on Russia to reciprocate and halt its own airstrikes for the duration of the negotiations.
The proposal comes as Witkoff and Kushner, who have played a leading role in US efforts to broker a peace agreement, are expected to travel to Russia and Ukraine this weekend, according to Russian state news agency TASS, which cited a source. There was no immediate official confirmation.
Witkoff and Kushner last visited Moscow in January, holding roughly four hours of late-night talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin.
Russia attacks Ukrainian security chief’s office
Discussions over a possible visit to Ukraine were still underway Friday, with September 6 reportedly being considered. If confirmed, it would mark the first visit to Kyiv for both US negotiators.
A senior Ukrainian official said the pair are expected to arrive in Kyiv on Sunday. A source familiar with the plans said Russia opposes the visit and has sought to persuade the US team to change its itinerary.
Differences remain
Despite renewed diplomatic efforts, significant differences remain between Moscow and Kyiv over how to end the war, now in its fourth and a half year.
Putin has repeatedly demanded that Ukraine surrender additional territory, while Kyiv has rejected proposals it views as equivalent to capitulation.
Earlier, a Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s security services in Kyiv, prompting the Ukrainian president to accuse Moscow of aiming directly at the SBU head’s personal office.
Zelensky said he had instructed the SBU to deliver an “appropriate, tangible response” to the strike, while Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga described it as a “major escalation”.
The acting head of the SBU, Oleksandr Poklad, was not in the vicinity at the time of the attack, a senior official said.
Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2026
