Фото: пресс-служба президента Украины
U.S. presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner could have traveled to Kyiv via Belarus. Such a route was considered, but they ultimately chose to travel to Kyiv by train, as most leaders visiting the Ukrainian capital during the war have done previously. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this.
According to Zelenskyy, the option of flying the Americans into Kyiv’s Boryspil or Zhulyany airports was initially considered. However, this would have required guarantees from Russia.
“Ukraine was ready to receive an American aircraft; both Boryspil and Zhulyany could have been used. Russia struck the runway at Zhulyany and Boryspil, but everything was technically operational. The question is whether Russia would provide this safe corridor”, he said, according to RBC-Ukraine.
As an alternative, a route through Belarus was considered. Witkoff and Kushner were to fly to Belarus and then travel overland via Homiel.
“There was an opportunity to fly to Belarus and travel from Homiel. The Security Service worked everything out, but they chose to travel by train”, he said.
The Ukrainian president also did not rule out the possibility that the envoys could fly by plane next time.
“I think next time we could try flying. If they do not want to use an American aircraft, they can fly to Poland, and my aircraft can take them from there”, he said.