President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were planning to go to Kiev on Sunday, but Witkoff „started to get scared.”
The Russians warned Steve Witkoff not to go to Ukraine because he could be in danger, a source quoted by Kyiv Independent said.
"The Russians do not want them to come here, to Kiev, and Witkoff is always sensitive to the Russians' opinion. They are told there that it is dangerous," the person said.
The envoys were planning to travel to the capital of Ukraine by plane, according to several people familiar with the situation. These plans are now uncertain, with logistical obstacles potentially affecting the timing of the trip.
Witkoff doesn't want to go by train, but flying isn't good either
A source had previously told the Ukrainian publication that Witkoff did not feel comfortable traveling to Kiev by train, as the airspace of the Ukrainian capital remains closed.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday that Witkoff and Kushner had confirmed the possibility of a visit to Ukraine. Kiev has been subjected to a continuous wave of Russian jet-propelled drone attacks. The attacks occurred for eight consecutive days, until September 3.
Russia launched a new wave of drone attacks on Kiev on Friday morning, damaging warehouses and causing a fire, just a few days before the planned visit of the envoys.
What the Kremlin says. And what it doesn't say
A person close to the Trump administration confirmed to Kyiv Independent that the visit was planned, but noted that it "could still be canceled."
Previously, the US had asked Ukraine not to attack Moscow during the August 25 visit of CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Russia. A person familiar with the situation said that the White House also asked Russia not to attack Kiev while the American envoys are there, but so far, "Russia has not committed" to this.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that the White House had also asked Ukraine to cease attacks on Moscow during the envoys' visit. He did not specify whether Moscow had agreed to refrain from attacking Kiev while American officials are in the city.
Zelensky is waiting for Trump's people
The trip to Kiev would mark the first visit to Ukraine by the two American envoys, who have made numerous trips to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"We are ready to meet with them in Ukraine," said Zelensky. "This is very important. It is important for the United States to remain active."
Washington did not comment on Witkoff and Kushner's plans to visit Ukraine.
Initially, it was anticipated that Witkoff and Kushner would make their first visit to Ukraine in early August, but the trip was postponed, apparently because President Donald Trump wanted to keep the diplomats close due to unresolved tensions with Iran.
T.D.