Donald Trump’s overseas envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow next week for talks at the Kremlin as the United States intensifies efforts to secure a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine. The visit was confirmed on Wednesday by Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov.
The development comes after Ukraine announced it had reached a “common understanding” with the White House on the outline of a possible peace agreement. On Tuesday, Trump said he had instructed Witkoff to meet the Russian president, while US Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll was being dispatched to Ukraine.
The meeting follows the release of a 28 point draft peace plan last week, which Trump said had been “fine tuned, with additional input from both sides”.
Speaking before Moscow officially confirmed the envoy’s visit, Trump suggested his son in law Jared Kushner, who has previously advised on diplomatic negotiations, might also take part in the Kremlin talks. He said any agreement would include land concessions “both ways” and focus on “trying to clean up the border”.
The president stressed he had not set a deadline for either side, stating “the deadline for me is when it is over”. Achieving a negotiated settlement has been central to Trump’s foreign policy agenda since returning to office.
The Kremlin has previously claimed it was not consulted on the new draft plan and warned it may reject amendments made since last week’s version. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow had supported the initial outline but the situation would be “fundamentally different” if major changes were introduced. As of Tuesday morning, he said Russia had not received the updated proposal and accused European governments of undermining US peace efforts.
While American officials did not respond publicly to Moscow’s concerns, Driscoll and Russian representatives held meetings in Abu Dhabi on Monday and Tuesday. Several key issues, including security guarantees for Kyiv and control of contested eastern regions, reportedly remain unresolved.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday he was prepared to meet Trump to discuss outstanding “sensitive points”, expressing hope the meeting could take place before the end of the month. “I am counting on further active cooperation with the American side and with President (Donald) Trump,” he said. “Much depends on America, because Russia pays the greatest attention to American strength.”
Zelensky has said the original 28 point plan had been reduced, with some provisions removed. Trump later wrote on social media that he expected to meet Zelensky and Putin “soon, but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages”.
European leaders, however, expressed caution. French President Emmanuel Macron said he saw “no Russian will for a ceasefire”, while Downing Street warned there was “a long way to go – a tough road ahead”. Macron and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer co chaired a meeting of the coalition of the willing, where leaders agreed to create a joint task force with the US to accelerate work on security guarantees for Ukraine.
Security guarantees remain one of the most contentious issues. On Monday, Zelensky said the “main problem” was Putin’s demand for legal recognition of territories seized by Russia. Moscow continues to insist on full Ukrainian withdrawal from the Donbas region, while also maintaining control of Crimea and major parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Diplomatic activity has intensified in recent weeks after a period of stagnation. The leaked US backed draft originally proposed that Ukraine surrender some territory it still holds, renounce joining Nato and significantly downsize its armed forces, conditions which align with long standing Kremlin demands. While Putin said the draft could be a “basis” for a deal, Zelensky responded that Ukraine faced a choice between maintaining US support and preserving its “dignity”.
Ahead of weekend talks in Geneva, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly clarified that the draft was “authored by the US” after senators claimed he indicated it was effectively written by Russia. Both Washington and Kyiv have since welcomed progress after securing revisions.
Trump later downplayed the first draft, saying “that was not a plan, it was a concept”. On Tuesday, Bloomberg published what it said was a transcript of an October call between Witkoff and Ushakov. Asked about the report, which suggested Ukraine would have to give up land, Trump said it represented a “very standard form of negotiations”. The transcript has not been independently verified.
Meanwhile, fighting continues. Both sides reported strikes in Zaporizhzhia on Tuesday night. Ukrainian regional head Ivan Federov said at least seven people were injured, while Kremlin installed governor Yevgeny Balitsky said Kyiv had attacked energy grids, leaving up to 40,000 people without electricity.
Tens of thousands of soldiers and thousands of civilians have been killed or injured, and millions displaced, since Russia launched its full scale invasion in February 2022.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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