Trump Envoys Going to Russia, Then Ukraine

Two of President Trump's top envoys will shuttle between Russia and Ukraine this weekend in a fresh attempt to jump-start peace talks. Special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are due in the Kremlin on Saturday for a meeting with Vladimir Putin, then in Kyiv on Sunday for talks with Volodymyr Zelensky, reports Axios. It's not clear if they're pushing a new peace proposal or encouraging closure on existing issues such as control of Ukraine's Donbas territory, notes the New York Times.

The trip, in the works for months and repeatedly delayed, follows CIA Director John Ratcliffe's quiet visit with Russian intelligence chiefs 10 days ago in Moscow. US-brokered negotiations froze in mid-February after the Iran war began, and recent contacts have produced little movement. Ukrainian officials remain wary, citing intelligence that Putin is preparing major new offensives. Zelensky, however, publicly welcomed the US role, calling the upcoming talks "very important."