Russia has extremely low expectations for Trump envoys' visit – Bloomberg
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are due to arrive in Moscow on Saturday 5 September with a proposal to end the war in Ukraine, although Russia is pessimistic about the prospects of reaching any agreement as a result of the visit.
Source: Bloomberg, citing sources close to the Kremlin
Details: According to people close to the Kremlin, expectations for the visit are extremely low. Witkoff and Kushner's previous trips to Russia brought no progress and there is no reason to believe they will bring acceptable proposals this time.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin is prepared to end the war only on his own terms, while Russia's demands are becoming increasingly tough as it believes it has the military advantage, Bloomberg's anonymous sources said.
It is unclear whether US officials are proposing any new initiatives that could break the deadlock in negotiations over Europe's most serious conflict since the Second World War, Bloomberg noted. It added that Putin has given no indication that he is prepared to abandon his demand that Ukraine hand over the remaining part of Donetsk Oblast as part of a potential agreement – a demand Kyiv has repeatedly rejected.
Background:
- On the evening of 4 September, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Witkoff and Kushner would visit Kyiv over the weekend.
- Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would ensure the "normal functioning of Russian airspace" during Witkoff and Kushner's visits to Moscow and Kyiv.
- This followed reports in the media that Trump's special envoys were discussing alternative plans for their visit to Kyiv in the coming days because of Russian scaremongering.
- Trump commented on the upcoming visits of his special envoys to Moscow and Kyiv.
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