U.S. envoy to visit Moscow as Russia–Ukraine peace talks escalate

A senior Kremlin official has confirmed that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Moscow next week, as diplomatic efforts accelerate to reach a consensus on ending the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine. Yuri Ushakov, foreign policy adviser to President Vladimir Putin, said Wednesday that the Kremlin has not yet officially received Washington’s initial peace proposal. Meanwhile, the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia came under a major Russian drone assault overnight, leaving at least 19 people wounded, according to local authorities.