Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump envoy Steve Witkoff to meet Putin for talks in Moscow as US pushes for peace deal
Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Vladimir Putin for talks in Moscow on Tuesday amid a renewed US push to end the war in Ukraine.
The White House said it was “very optimistic” about striking an agreement to end Russia’s invasion following two days of negotiations between Ukrainian and US officials in Florida over the weekend.
Mr Witkoff, who has visited Moscow several times this year, will meet with the Russian President on Tuesday afternoon, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
The visit follows a flurry of diplomatic activity in the past fortnight involving US, Ukrainian and Russian officials. An original US-drafted plan to end the war caused consternation in Europe last month after it appeared to yield to Russia’s maximalist demands, including the recognition of occupied territory in eastern Ukraine.
Zelensky has said the terms now “look better” for Kyiv after negotiations in Florida but there is little evidence that Russia and Ukraine are closer to resolving any of the key issues blocking an agreement.
