US President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, had a three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday in Russia to discuss the US plan to conclude the war in Ukraine. Mr. Trump indicated that both parties were “very close to a deal,” despite clear differences in their perspectives.
After the conclusion of Mr. Witkoff’s meeting, Mr. Trump stated in a social media post that the discussions were productive and called for a high-level gathering between Ukraine and Russia to finalize an agreement.
“Most of the major points are agreed upon,” Mr. Trump mentioned in his post after arriving in Rome for Pope Francis’s funeral today. “Stop the bloodshed, NOW.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was anticipated to attend the funeral, although he expressed uncertainty about his attendance yesterday.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, who participated in the meeting and later briefed reporters, characterized it as constructive and notably beneficial.
“This discussion enabled Russia and the United States to align their positions more closely, not just on Ukraine but on several other international matters,” he stated to the press.
“Regarding the Ukrainian crisis, the dialogue mainly centered on resuming direct negotiations between representatives of the Russian Federation and Ukraine.”
No immediate comments were available from Mr. Witkoff.
A billionaire real estate mogul, Mr. Witkoff has become the key US intermediary with Mr. Putin as Mr. Trump seeks a resolution to the conflict.
This latest trip follows discussions earlier this week where Ukrainian and European officials challenged some US proposals concerning the resolution of the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the negotiations in Moscow [credit: Kremlin Press Office / Handout]
Mr. Witkoff’s meeting occurred mere hours after a car bomb killed a prominent Russian military officer near Moscow, an act the Kremlin attributed to Ukraine.
On Thursday, Mr. Trump condemned a Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine that resulted in at least 12 deaths, posting a message to Mr. Putin on social media that read: “Vladimir, STOP!”
Mr. Trump has cautioned both sides that the US will discontinue its efforts unless substantial progress is made.
Newcomer to diplomacy
Mr. Witkoff lacked prior diplomatic experience before joining Mr. Trump’s team in January, and critics have suggested he is ill-equipped for a direct negotiation with Mr. Putin, who has been Russia’s dominant leader for the past 25 years.
Footage from the start of yesterday’s meeting showed the American, accompanied solely by a translator, seated across from Mr. Putin, Kremlin aide Ushakov, and Russian investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who also had an interpreter present.
Critics have occasionally accused Mr. Witkoff of mirroring the Kremlin’s narrative. In a recent interview with journalist Tucker Carlson, he claimed there was no rationale for Russia’s desire to absorb Ukraine or annex more territory, labeling it “preposterous” to think that Mr. Putin would wish to march his army across Europe.
Rescuers take a break at the site of a destroyed residential building in Ukraine.
Ukraine and many of its European allies assert the contrary. Mr. Putin denies any intentions regarding NATO territory, and Russia has frequently dismissed such allegations as manifestations of European hostility and “Russophobia.”
According to texts reviewed by Reuters, the peace proposal presented by Mr. Witkoff includes formal US recognition of Russia’s control over Crimea— the Ukrainian peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014— as well as de facto recognition of Russia’s hold on areas in southern and eastern Ukraine under its military control.
A document from European and Ukrainian sources postpones detailed discussions on territory until after a ceasefire is established, not mentioning the recognition of Russian control over any Ukrainian territory.
There are also discrepancies regarding the lifting of sanctions on Russia, the structure of security guarantees for Ukraine, and the future size of the Ukrainian military.
This week, Mr. Zelensky stated that recognizing Crimea as part of Russia would violate Ukraine’s constitution.
In an interview published yesterday with Time magazine, Mr. Trump remarked: “Crimea will stay with Russia. And Zelensky understands that; everyone recognizes it has been with them for a long time.”
