Trump envoy in high-stakes talks with Putin over Ukraine ceasefire
Steve Witkoff, representing U.S. President Donald Trump, went to Russia for talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin about a ceasefire with Ukraine. He gave an interview to CNN on Sunday, discussing when talks between the White House and the Kremlin might be anticipated.
"I expect that there will be a call with both presidents this week, and we’re also continuing to engage and have a conversation with the Ukrainians. We’re bridging the gap between two sides," Steve Witkoff said in the Sunday interview with CNN.
After meeting with Vladimir Putin, the U.S. envoy emphasized that a key element of the negotiations will be the status of the four Ukrainian regions that were occupied by Russia. In his conversation with CNN, he described the discussions with the Russian Federation leader as factual and "solution-based," noting that the positions of both sides are now closer than ever.
However, Witkoff refused to answer whether the United States recognizes the Russian territorial gains. He stressed that the U.S. advises Ukraine on issues related to negotiations and remains engaged in the talks.
Trump denies media reports
The meeting between Witkoff and Putin took place two days after the U.S. and Ukraine agreed on a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire.
Putin stated that Russia supports the American proposal to end the conflict by peaceful means, emphasizing that any ceasefire should lead to lasting peace, thus eliminating the fundamental causes of the conflict. He also suggested that the proposed ceasefire benefits Ukrainians, allowing them time for mobilization and rearmament.
In December 2023, Moscow approached NATO countries with a demand for written security guarantees. This included the withdrawal of Alliance troops to positions from 1997.
"We are talking about the withdrawal of foreign forces, equipment and weapons and other steps in order to return to the configuration as of 1997 on the territory of countries that were not Nato members on the specified date. These include Bulgaria and Romania," stated Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, as reported by Sofiaglobe.
Russia's demand concerned 14 countries, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
