US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to make their first visit to Kyiv in the second half of August, potentially attending events marking the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Alex Raufoglu reported on Thursday, citing two people familiar with the travel plans, that the pair could visit Kyiv around Independence Day on Aug. 24.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The planned trip emerged following President Volodymyr Zelensky’s closed-door meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. If confirmed, it would be the first time either envoy has visited Ukraine since becoming one of Washington’s principal intermediaries in efforts to end Russia’s war. Zelensky said Wednesday that he expected the visit within the coming weeks and wanted to discuss detailed proposals for restarting trilateral talks involving Ukraine, the US and Russia. He also said the envoys should see the situation inside Ukraine firsthand. First Kyiv visit after repeated Moscow talks The visit would partly correct a long-standing imbalance in Washington’s diplomatic efforts. Witkoff has reportedly traveled to Russia at least eight times during the Trump administration’s efforts to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin back to negotiations. Kushner accompanied him during one of those visits, but neither had traveled to Kyiv. Zelensky had previously urged the two envoys to visit Ukraine, arguing that direct exposure to the consequences of Russia’s attacks was necessary to understand Kyiv’s military and security requirements.