Steve Witkoff described his meeting with the Russian president as “positive”
FILE PHOTO: Steve Witkoff. © Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images
The presidents of Russia and the US might have a call this week to agree on a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict, Steve Witkoff, a special envoy to US President Donald Trump, has said. Speaking on CNN on Sunday, Witkoff said he had a “positive” meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that lasted between three and four hours.
Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Thursday to present Putin with the details of the truce proposal agreed by American and Ukrainian officials.
“We had some really positive results coming out of Saudi Arabia, discussions led by our National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and our Secretary of State Marco Rubio. I describe my conversation with President Putin as equally positive,” the envoy said. “Back before this visit, there was another visit, and before that visit the two sides were miles apart in where they were. The two sides are today a lot closer.”
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Witkoff, a real estate mogul and long-time associate of Trump, has recently taken on significant diplomatic roles, including efforts to negotiate peace in the Ukraine conflict. He led the talks in Moscow after Russia reportedly requested that Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, be removed from the negotiating process over his pro-Ukraine views. Commenting on the matter, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow has no intention of becoming involved in internal American affairs, so it’s up to Washington to decide who to appoint.
On Saturday, the US president clarified that Kellogg will be responsible for talks with Kiev.
Putin voiced support for a possible 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict but raised concerns about its implementation. He also granted Ukrainian forces encircled in Russia’s Kursk Region time to surrender, assuring them that their lives would be preserved and they would be given dignified treatment. Still, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga stated in an interview on Saturday that Ukraine’s forces in the region will continue their operations.