In a move that suggests either diplomatic progress or a very ambitious frequent-flyer program, US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia and Ukraine this weekend. Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed he will meet the envoys on Sunday, after they visit Moscow on Saturday to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Witkoff and Kushner have led President Donald Trump's efforts to broker a peace deal, but a gulf remains between the two warring sides - and not just the one in the Gulf. 'They are bringing with them a proposal to end the war,' Trump told reporters, presumably with a straight face.

Earlier on Friday, Zelensky said a Russian drone hit the office of Ukraine's security chief Oleksandr Poklad in Kyiv. Poklad appears to be unharmed, which is nice, because it would be awkward to negotiate peace while your security chief is dodging drones. In a post on social media, Zelensky said he had ordered Poklad, who heads the SBU security service, to respond 'adequately' to the attack - a word that leaves much to the imagination.

Witkoff and Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, have visited Russia multiple times, but the purported talks will be the first in Ukraine. Zelensky said he would guarantee the safety of Russian airspace during the envoys' visit and called for Russia to do the same for Ukraine. Because nothing says 'peace negotiations' like mutual assurances about not shooting down the negotiators' planes.

Russia's state news agency Tass said Witkoff and Kushner were 'expected to arrive in Moscow and then to Kyiv... on 5-6 September', quoting a source. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later told reporters: 'I wouldn't announce anything, but when these contacts take place, we will inform you.' Classic Kremlin - committed to transparency, just not in advance.

Meanwhile, Putin told an international economic forum on Thursday that 'there are chances' a peace deal could be reached. 'First of all, Moscow and Kyiv must agree between themselves,' he said. But he showed no sign of backing down from his maximalist demands, which included more territorial concessions from Ukraine. Kyiv and its European allies have repeatedly rejected Putin's terms, saying they are tantamount to capitulation - which, in diplomatic terms, is a polite way of saying 'over my dead body.'

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and currently controls about 20% of its territory. So, as the envoys pack their bags for another round of shuttle diplomacy, one can't help but wonder: will this trip yield a breakthrough, or just more frequent-flier miles?