White House announces Witkoff expecting meeting with Putin
(MENAFN) Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, is set to travel to Russia later this week for another meeting with President Vladimir Putin, the White House has confirmed. Witkoff, who has been instrumental in fostering closer relations between Moscow and Washington during Trump’s second term, has already held multiple talks with Russian officials, including at least three meetings with Putin. Russian presidential adviser Yury Ushakov confirmed the upcoming visit.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that both Trump and Witkoff are committed to continuing the negotiations. She expressed optimism, saying the talks are moving in the right direction and that Witkoff will continue discussions with Putin in the coming days.
The White House did not provide specific details on Witkoff’s travel plans, though reports indicate that he will skip a meeting with European and Ukrainian officials in London to head to Moscow. Washington is expected to present a peace framework at the London talks, following high-level discussions in Paris where Witkoff and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with French, UK, German, and Ukrainian officials. Rubio will not attend the London talks due to scheduling conflicts, and General Keith Kellogg will represent the U.S. instead.
Reports suggest that the U.S. proposals could involve formally recognizing Crimea as Russian territory and potentially lifting sanctions on Moscow. In return, Russia may agree to halt hostilities along the current front lines. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned against misinformation circulating about the talks and urged the public to rely on official sources for updates.
Russia insists that any peace agreement must address the core issues of the conflict, including NATO’s eastward expansion and Ukraine’s desire to join the alliance. Moscow has also demanded that Ukraine recognize not only Crimea but also the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye, as part of Russia.
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