US President Donald Trump's special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were scheduled to visit Moscow and Kiev on September 5-6, but Witkoff has "begun to get spooked" by Russian warnings, leading to discussions of alternative plans, Kyiv Independent reports, citing its sources.
"The Russians don't want them to come here to Kiev, and Witkoff is always sensitive to Russian sentiment. They tell them it's dangerous," the source told the outlet.
This comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Witkoff and Kushner had confirmed the possibility of a visit to Ukraine.
The strikes on Ukraine continue
Kiev has reportedly been hit by an ongoing series of Russian drone strikes, with eight consecutive days of attacks as of September 3. Russia carried out another drone strike on the capital on the morning of September 4, damaging warehouses and causing a fire. This came just days before the US envoys were scheduled to visit.
Interestingly, the US had previously asked Ukraine not to strike Moscow during CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Russia on August 25. It remains unclear whether the Trump administration will make a similar request to Russia while its envoys are in Kiev.
This trip would be the first to Ukraine for the two US envoys, who have already traveled to Moscow several times to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to media reports.
"We are ready to meet with them in Ukraine. This is very important. It is important for the United States to remain active," Zelensky stressed. Washington, for its part, has not commented on Witkoff and Kushner's plans to visit Ukraine.