Russian strikes hit both of Kyiv’s airports overnight, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday, accusing Moscow of trying to disrupt a planned visit by envoys sent by US President Donald Trump.
Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are expected to travel to Moscow and then Kyiv this weekend, carrying what Trump described as a proposal to end the war in Ukraine.
According to Axios, the two men are due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday before holding talks with Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday.
The visit would mark the first time Kushner and Witkoff have travelled to Kyiv, a city badly scarred by the war. Both men have previously been to Moscow, most recently in January.
Zelenskyy said they were considering arriving in Kyiv by air, which would be highly unusual because Ukrainian airspace has been closed since Russia’s full-scale invasion began on 24 February 2022.
Related News
- Deal on EU air passenger rights: What changes for travellers?
- Trump wants Europe to pay for aid granted to Ukraine by Biden
- Ukraine rebuilds school for displaced children amid war, funded by EU initiative
Officials visiting Ukraine usually enter by train from neighbouring countries, a much longer journey.
Zelenskyy said “demonstrative” Russian bombardments struck both airports in the Ukrainian capital overnight, although he did not give details of the damage.
“It is clear that these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations regarding the possibility of the American side travelling to Ukraine by air and landing at Kyiv or Boryspil airports,” he said.
Trump did not say whether the proposal involved Ukraine giving up territory, as he had previously suggested might be necessary, but said: “We have an idea for peace.”
The US president also said the war, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, stemmed from a “personality problem” between Zelenskyy and Putin.
Zelenskyy said he had proposed observing a ceasefire with Russia during the American envoys’ trip.
Moscow has not confirmed the visit or responded to Zelenskyy’s ceasefire proposal.
In the early hours of Saturday, a separate Russian attack on the city of Kamianske in central-eastern Ukraine killed at least five people and injured five others, according to regional authorities.
