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Envoys for a ceasefire
U.S. President Donald Trump said he was sending envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to Moscow and Kyiv with a proposal to end the four-year-old Ukraine war, and he told reporters, "They're bringing with them a proposal to end the war."
“"They're bringing with them a proposal to end the war," Trump told reporters”
Trump said he would not say whether the plan involved Ukraine ceding territory, but added, "We have an idea for peace," and he blamed the war that began with Russia invading Ukraine in February 2022 on a "personality problem" between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said during his evening address that there would be "no airstrikes on our part" and that Russia must reciprocally ensure a ceasefire for the duration needed to conduct the talks.
The BBC reported that the first time Kushner and Witkoff would visit war-torn Kyiv since Trump returned to office last year with a vow to end the Ukraine war, and it said both envoys have previously visited Moscow.
The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not confirm a meeting, saying on Friday that the media would be informed if such a meeting took place, while Trump said he sent Kushner and Witkoff "to see whether or not we can get something done."
Putin, Zelensky, and NATO
At the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested there is a "chance" at "peace" with Ukraine, saying, "Is there a chance [at peace]? In my view, yes, there is."
Putin also repeated that Kyiv’s warnings to airlines to avoid Russian airspace amounted to "state terrorism," and he said the problem must be resolved by Russia and Ukraine.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that Russia is becoming "increasingly reckless," saying at a joint press conference with Ursula von der Leyen that "The dangers Russia poses are clear."
Zelensky urged airlines to avoid Russian airspace as Kyiv ramps up long-range drone operations inside Russia, and he said Russian airspace is becoming "completely unsafe" due to the number of drones in the skies.
In response to Germany’s move to blame Russia for an attempted drone attack on an airport, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, "Putin's not looking to attack NATO territory," while the CNBC account said Putin called the threat a declaration of "state terrorism" and Russia would intensify attacks on Ukraine.
Drone incident and retaliation
Germany officially blamed Russia for an attempted attack on the airport in Leipzig, and the Sky News account said the government ordered the closure of one of Russia's consulates and the Russian cultural centre in Berlin while the UK summoned the Russian Charge d'affaires.
“Vladimir Putin called the German sanctions "another mistake"”
Sky News also said Russia’s embassy in Germany denied the accusations, and it added that Vladimir Putin called the German sanctions "another mistake".
Newsweek’s account framed the Leipzig attribution as part of a pattern of intensifying Russian sub-threshold activity, quoting Franz-Stefan Gady saying it "degrade[s] allied cohesion without triggering Article 5," and it said Germany summoned Russian Ambassador Sergey Nechaev.
Newsweek reported that Nechaev told journalists, "We are being accused of no less than committing a terrorist act or attempting to do so," and it said he added that there was "none" in terms of evidence.
Against the backdrop of the diplomatic push, Trump said his envoys would be on their way to Moscow and Kyiv with a proposal "to end the war," while Zelensky said Kyiv would ensure normal operation of Russian airspace for the visit and Russia must respond in kind with no airstrikes.