U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff touched down in Ukraine on Thursday, expressing optimism that the latest wave of Russian artillery had successfully accelerated the demolition phase of several prime commercial parcels.
The delegation traveled directly from Moscow, where they reportedly finalized conceptual floor plans and secured necessary air rights with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The diplomatic visit shifted focus early Thursday morning as the two real estate executives surveyed the smoking craters across the capital. Witkoff noted that the overnight leveling of an eastern industrial district had cleared significant regulatory hurdles for a proposed 40-story luxury hotel and retail complex, permanently bypassing years of tedious municipal zoning reviews.
We typically have to spend tens of millions and wait out endless community board meetings to clear a dense residential area like this, so having the heavy lifting handled by the Russian aerospace forces is a massive tailwind for the project.
While the Ukrainian military reported intercepting dozens of inbound missiles, the U.S. delegation expressed mild frustration at the successful air defense. Kushner reportedly warned allied commanders that leaving the remaining Soviet-era apartment blocks intact would drastically limit the footprint of the planned casino concourse, creating unnecessary drag on the eventual raise.
The envoys are scheduled to sit down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later this afternoon to discuss the immediate cessation of frontline combat, citing the need to safely bring heavy excavation equipment into the blast zones before the ground freezes.