FILE PHOTO: U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff delivers a press conference upon the signing of the declaration on deploying post-ceasefire force in Ukraine, during the so-called 'Coalition of the Willing' summit, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, January 6, 2026. Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Jan 21 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said he would be traveling with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner to Moscow on Thursday and that they would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Well, look, we have to go meet him on Thursday," Witkoff told CNBC in an interview, referring to Putin.
"But it's the Russians who are asking for that meeting. I think that's a significant statement on their part," he said.
The Kremlin said last week it was preparing to welcome Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow for peace talks on Ukraine, but that no dates had been set.
Asked if Putin was joining Trump's Board of Peace, Witkoff said "I think so," and reiterated that an invitation to do so had been extended to Putin.
Ukraine's top negotiator Rustem Umerov said last week that talks with U.S. officials on a resolution of the nearly four-year-old war with Russia would continue at the World Economic Forum this week in the Swiss resort of Davos.
(Reporting by Devika Nair in BengaluruEditing by Bernadette Baum)
