Whitcoff And Kushner Declined To Fly To Gomel

• 8.09.2026, 13:08

They were offered the option of traveling to Ukraine through our country.

Ukrainian intelligence agencies were prepared to meet with U.S. President’s envoys Steve Whitcroft and Jared Kushner in Belarus and facilitate their trip from Gomel to Ukraine. However, the American delegation chose to travel by train, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to New Voice.

According to Zelenskyy, Steve Whitcoff and Jared Kushner had the option of flying to Belarus and traveling to Ukraine from Gomel.

“It’s about a three-hour drive from Gomel. “We also put in a lot of work, and our security service was formally ready to meet Steve and Jared,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine could also have received a plane carrying American negotiators at one of Kyiv’s two airports.

“Ukraine was ready to receive the American plane—the plane carrying the delegation of negotiators. Both Boryspil and Zhuliany could have been used. Russia clearly wanted to emphasize that Ukraine is not safe, and they struck both the runway at Zhuliany and the runway at Boryspil.

Technically, our airports are ready to receive delegations. The question is whether the Russian Federation can guarantee this security corridor.”

As a result, the Americans decided to travel by train.

“They chose the train. We told them it would be a safe and comfortable way to arrive in Ukraine. The entire American delegation really liked the train. We agreed that they would come again,” Zelenskyy concluded.

As a reminder, on the eve of Whitcoff and Kushner’s visit to Ukraine, Russia launched strikes on Kyiv’s airports. At “Zhuliany,” according to preliminary reports, an aircraft was hit. The strikes took place as preparations were underway for the possible arrival of the American delegation and demonstrated that Russian attacks pose a direct threat to the safety of air travel to Kyiv.