Trump Sends Kushner and Witkoff to Push for Ukraine Peace

President Trump announced Friday that he is dispatching two senior envoys — Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — to Russia and Ukraine with a new peace proposal. The trip is the latest attempt to end a war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 and has now lasted more than four years, making it Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II.

According to US media, Witkoff and Kushner are expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday. A senior Ukrainian official confirmed the Kyiv leg. The Kremlin would not comment. Speaking to reporters, Trump said the envoys would test whether "progress towards peace" is possible.

The push comes amid a gloomy backdrop. Peace efforts have stalled partly because the US has been distracted by a war with Iran. Meanwhile, Moscow and Kyiv have intensified long-range attacks, and the number of civilians killed has surged to levels not seen since the early days of the fighting. Video footage even shows a Russian drone stalking a vegetable vendor in Ukraine — a brutal reminder of how far the conflict still is from ending.

For ordinary people — in the US, Europe, and beyond — this matters because the war continues to drive up energy prices, disrupt food supplies, and deepen global instability. The new plan's details are still secret. Biden-era officials and even some European allies have expressed skepticism about Kushner, who has no formal diplomatic role but is a close family adviser to Trump. The weekend meetings could either produce a surprising breakthrough or simply add another layer to a very long, painful story.