Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff travel with proposal to end Russia-Ukraine war

Sept. 4 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump said Friday his special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are traveling to Russia and Ukraine this weekend with a proposal to end the war.

This would be the diplomatic pair's first visit to Kyiv. Witkoff and Kushner, the president's son-in-law, have been to Moscow several times before.

"They're bringing with them a plan to end the war," Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday.

"They've done a great job, and we sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done -- and there may be a good chance that we'll do it," Trump added .

The envoys were expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, followed by a visit to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday.

"Just as we did during previous diplomatic visits by the American side, we will ensure the normal functioning of Russian airspace so that the negotiators can arrive safely," Zelensky said in a statement on X . "We are looking out for them, not for Russia.

"There will be no air strikes from our side, and Russia must do the same, ensuring there are no air strikes from its side for the time needed to hold these talks and handle the logistical matters related to this American visit."

Putin said "there are chances" a peace deal could be reached, the BBC reported.

"First of all, Moscow and Kyiv must agree between themselves," he said.

Russia and Ukraine have traded a barrage of intensifying attacks in the past week.

Moscow has launched waves of jet-powered drones into Ukrainian cities, killing 53 people and injuring 134.

Kyiv has struck targets deep inside Russia, destroying energy facilities and warehouses.

The visit comes a week after CIA Director John Ratcliffe made his first publicly known trip to Moscow to warn Russia against attacking NATO allies.

A U.S. intelligence report had determined that Putin might order a small-attack in the coming years to test the alliance, with the likely targets being countries on the Baltic Sea.