Photo: EPA
U.S. President Donald Trump said he does not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning an attack on NATO territory, stressing that he knows the Kremlin leader well.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump also said his special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were taking a proposal on ending the war in Ukraine to Moscow.
According to reports, the envoys were scheduled to travel to Russia on Friday and meet Putin in the Kremlin on Saturday. On Sunday, they were expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.
The trip to Kyiv would be their first visit to Ukraine since Trump returned to the White House. Before the trip, Witkoff and Kushner met Trump at the White House to coordinate the details.
Zelenskyy confirmed the planned meetings, saying he expected talks with the U.S. representatives in Kyiv in the coming days.
“This is very important. It is important that America remains actively engaged. We are ready to meet them in Ukraine, properly and meaningfully,” Zelenskyy said.
Peace talks remain unresolved
Throughout 2026, Witkoff and Kushner have repeatedly discussed Washington’s proposals for ending the war with Russian officials.
Earlier this year, the U.S. administration reported progress on security guarantees for Ukraine and its postwar reconstruction, while the territorial issue remained unresolved.
The American envoys have made several trips to Moscow, while their planned visits to Kyiv were repeatedly postponed. In August, their latest Kyiv trip was delayed again amid intensified Russian attacks, although it was not canceled.
Trump’s latest remarks came ahead of the envoys’ planned meetings with Russian and Ukrainian leaders, as Washington continues efforts to revive negotiations over a possible end to the war.
