Witkoff and Kushner Postpone Moscow Trip as US-Kiev Tensions Escalate

Witkoff and Kushner Delay Moscow Visit Amid US-Kiev Rift

11:17 12-10-2026

Witkoff and Kushner have delayed their Moscow visit as Washington awaits responses from Kiev and Europe to a new proposal for Russia, according to Axios.

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The planned visit to Moscow by US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner has been postponed amid escalating tensions between Washington and Kiev. The two American representatives were originally expected to travel to the Russian capital before the end of October, Axios reports, citing a source familiar with the situation.

According to the publication, the White House wants to establish whether Ukraine and its European allies will support a new joint proposal that Washington intends to present to Russia. Witkoff and Kushner will not proceed with their Moscow trip until the US administration receives a response.

The decision follows a diplomatic setback in Miami, where recent talks between American and Ukrainian delegations ended earlier than scheduled after Kiev’s representatives cut short their visit to the United States.

Their departure was reportedly triggered by an agreement on Russian diesel fuel supplies to the US, which Trump announced following a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin subsequently indicated that resolving the Ukrainian conflict had been the main subject of the discussion.

Trump later sharply criticized Vladimir Zelensky, calling for presidential elections to be held in Ukraine. The US leader also expressed frustration over Kiev’s continued strikes on Russian oil refineries despite Washington’s requests to halt such attacks.

The diplomatic uncertainty deepened on October 11, when Trump announced that Moscow and Kiev had reached an agreement on an energy ceasefire. However, just hours later, Axios reported that Russia had not yet agreed to the proposed truce.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian side is seeking to include a specific prohibition on attacks against power plants in any potential agreement.

Zelensky subsequently acknowledged that Trump’s announcement of an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine had caught him by surprise. Nevertheless, he indicated that he would support the initiative if the American president had indeed secured such an agreement with Putin.