October 12, 2026
All eyes are on the Russian capital, Moscow, amid speculation that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit an expected visit during the next two weeks, as part of intense diplomatic moves by Washington to reach a settlement to the Russian-Ukrainian war.
In this context, Reuters reported on Saturday from the Russian TASS agency, based on an unnamed source, that the possibility of a visit by Witkov and Kushner to Moscow exists, noting that coordination regarding its details is underway without specifying an exact date or agenda for the discussions yet.
For its part, the Kremlin welcomed the possible visit. On Friday, his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, confirmed President Vladimir Putin’s readiness to meet with American envoys, stressing Moscow’s openness to listen to the ideas and proposals they discussed with the Ukrainian side if it was decided to present them to the Russian leadership.
These developments come following a round of talks conducted by Witkoff and Kushner in the American city of Miami, on Friday, with Ukrainian and European officials, which focused on proposals to settle the conflict.
According to the Axios website, the talks touched on the security guarantees that the United States, Europe, and NATO might provide to Ukraine as part of any prospective agreement, as well as proposals regarding regional files and post-war arrangements.
Discussions included mechanisms for financing reconstruction, rebuilding the Ukrainian armed forces, and addressing the budget deficit, in addition to the path for Kiev’s accession to the European Union and its future relationship with NATO, and the possibility of establishing a security framework that brings together Europe and Russia.
These diplomatic moves coincide with tension between Washington and Kiev, resulting from US President Donald Trump’s announcement of an agreement with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to supply Russian diesel to the American and global markets, an approach that was met with criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In the details of this file, Axios quoted an American official as saying that Trump’s decision came in response to Kiev ignoring repeated American demands to stop targeting Russian oil refineries due to their effects on global fuel prices. On the other hand, Zelensky expressed his willingness to suspend attacks on refineries on the condition that Russia stops striking the energy sector infrastructure in Ukraine.
It is noteworthy that Presidents Trump and Putin held a phone call on Friday, during which they discussed the energy issues and settling the conflict. Regarding the resumption of direct negotiations, Russian Presidential Assistant Yuri Ushakov explained that the ongoing Ukrainian attacks on Russian cities prevented their immediate resumption, noting that Putin informed the American side that Moscow would carefully study the timing of returning to the negotiating table.
