Exclusive: Trump envoys' first Kyiv trip thrown into doubt after Witkoff 'gets scared'

U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were planning to visit Moscow and Kyiv on Sept. 5–6, but Witkoff "started to get scared," prompting discussions about alternative plans, a person familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent.

"The Russians don't want them to come here to Kyiv, and Witkoff is always sensitive to Russian sentiment," the person said. "They're being told there that it's dangerous."

The envoys had planned to travel to the Ukrainian capital by plane, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. Those plans are now in doubt, with the logistical hurdles potentially affecting the timing of the trip. One person familiar with the matter previously told the Kyiv Independent that Witkoff was uncomfortable traveling to Kyiv by train, as the airspace over the capital remains closed.

The revelation comes a day after President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 3 that Witkoff and Kushner had confirmed they could visit Ukraine. Kyiv has suffered a relentless barrage of Russian jet-powered drone strikes, facing eight straight days of attacks as of Sept. 3.

Russia launched another drone barrage against the capital on the morning of Sept. 4, damaging warehouses and sparking a fire, just days before the envoys' planned visit.

A person close to the Trump administration confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that the visit was planned but said it "might still be canceled."

The U.S. had previously asked Ukraine not to strike Moscow during CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Russia on Aug. 25. One person familiar with the matter said the White House has also asked Russia not to attack Kyiv while U.S. envoys are visiting, but so far, "Russia did not commit" to doing so.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the White House had likewise asked Ukraine to halt strikes on Moscow during the envoys' visit. He did not say whether Moscow had agreed to refrain from attacks on Kyiv while the U.S. officials are there.

The trip would mark the first visit to Ukraine by the two U.S. envoys, who have made multiple trips to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We are ready to meet with them in Ukraine," Zelensky said. "This is very important. It is important that the United States remains active."

Washington has not commented on Witkoff and Kushner's plans to visit Ukraine.

Witkoff and Kushner were expected to make their first visits to Ukraine earlier in August, but the trip was postponed, allegedly because U.S. President Donald Trump wanted to keep the diplomats close due to the unresolved standoff with Iran.