US Envoys Witkoff and Kushner Arrive in Moscow for Ukraine Peace Talks

Vladimir Putin’s deputy foreign minister has issued a warning to Donald Trump as envoys for the US president are believed to be heading to Moscow for talks to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

"The key question is the extent to which the US administration is prepared to invest in finding a real solution to the current crisis, considering the realities on the ground,” Sergei Ryabkov said.

This, Mr Ryabkov sought to claim, was a situation which was not developing in Kyiv's favour, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

Trump’s envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, are expected to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday before travelling to Kyiv on Sunday to meet Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, according to US officials.

The trip comes as Russia continues its attacks despite Zelensky’s offer of a temporary air truce. “There will be no airstrikes from our side, and Russia must reciprocally ensure a period of calm, with no airstrikes on its part for as long as necessary to hold these talks,” Zelensky said on Friday.

Russia nevertheless launched overnight strikes on Ukraine, killing four people and injuring five in Kamianske in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, while Russian drones also struck Kyiv.

In Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk region, a Russian strike hit an industrial facility overnight, killing four people and injuring five, Ukrainska Pravda reported. Three of those wounded were hospitalised, with one in intensive care, according to regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha.

Russian drones also struck the Kyiv region, damaging a nine-storey residential building in Boryspil and starting fires on its roof and in an apartment. Two women were injured and taken to hospital, according to the Kyiv regional authorities.

A business jet believed to be carrying US president Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow on Saturday, Russia's Interfax news agency reported, citing aviation sources.

Ukraine says Russia is preparing several possible scenarios for a new offensive in the north, including towards Kyiv and Chernihiv, according to presidential aide Pavlo Palisa. Palisa told journalists last week that Russian military leadership had been tasked with preparing the plans and that Ukrainian intelligence had verified the information through several sources.

Ukraine is facing a €23bn (£19.7bn) funding gap for its defence needs this year, as Kyiv warns it may have to cut non-military spending unless allies provide more support. President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked the EU to bring forward part of its €90bn (£77.2bn) Ukraine Support Loan.

Russian attacks have destroyed around 90 per cent of the food-logistics infrastructure used by Ukraine’s retail chains, according to the country's agriculture minister. “As of today, roughly speaking, 90 per cent of food logistics for retail chains have been destroyed, but that does not mean Ukrainians will be left without food,” Taras Vysotskyi said last week.