The White House expressed a strong sense of optimism as Special Envoy Steve Witkoff prepares to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday, with Jared Kushner also expected to attend, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to Realnist. This comes as U.S. officials continue efforts to find a resolution to Russia’s war in Ukraine, following intensive talks in Florida over the weekend.
The Kremlin stated that the Moscow meeting is scheduled to begin around 5 p.m. local time, or 9 a.m. Eastern Time. The session will follow multiple consultations between senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials aimed at revising a previously proposed peace plan initially presented by the Trump administration to Kyiv last month.
Witkoff, along with top U.S. officials including Kushner and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, met in Florida with Ukrainian representatives to negotiate potential compromises that could be acceptable to both sides. The discussions were described as productive, though certain aspects still require refinement, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ahead of the Moscow talks, the Kremlin reported that Putin had conducted preparatory meetings with military commanders and a regional governor in a frontline area. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the engagement was expected to mark a significant step toward a peaceful settlement, although there was little expectation that Putin would make major concessions. Last week, Putin reiterated his position demanding that Ukraine withdraw from territories claimed by Russia and described negotiations with President Zelenskyy as “pointless.”
On Monday, Putin claimed, without providing evidence, that Russian forces had taken control of two Ukrainian cities experiencing heavy fighting, likely aiming to bolster perceptions of Russia’s strategic advantage. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to discuss the steps toward a just peace and then traveled to Dublin to meet with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin.
Throughout the Florida meetings, members of Ukraine’s delegation communicated updates on ongoing discussions, noting that several difficult issues remained unresolved. The potential transfer of some Ukrainian territories to Russia was reported to be part of the negotiations, though details remain unclear.
Zelenskyy also confirmed that he, Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer received briefings from Witkoff and Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, on progress made during the U.S. talks. Umerov described the discussions as intensive and productive, highlighting that while significant progress had been achieved, additional work was necessary to finalize certain points.
On Tuesday, Zelenskyy met in person with the Ukrainian negotiation team to address matters not suitable for phone discussions, emphasizing the importance of partnerships with allied nations. He also raised concerns about a new wave of Russian disinformation coinciding with Witkoff’s Moscow meeting.
The upcoming session will mark the sixth meeting between Witkoff and Putin this year, amid an intensified effort by the White House to broker a peace agreement in the nearly four-year-long conflict. Discussions are expected to include revisions to a 19-point peace plan developed after U.S.-Ukraine talks in Geneva, which updated a previous 28-point proposal initially viewed as favoring Russia.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday that while the negotiators had refined the points on paper, she would leave the details to those attending the Moscow talks. “We are hopeful that this process can finally lead to a resolution,” she added, reflecting the administration’s cautious optimism.
Earlier we wrote that Ukraine Sends High-Level Delegation to U.S. for Crucial Peace Talks.
