US envoy in Moscow: Push for Ukraine ceasefire intensifies

• Steve Witkoff, the U.S. President's envoy, will meet with Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
• The talks concern reaching a ceasefire in Russia's war with Ukraine.
• This is the fourth meeting between Witkoff and Putin in the past three months.

Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump, arrived in Moscow to continue talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Witkoff's visit to Moscow marks the fourth meeting with Putin in the last three months.

The visit takes place a day after President Trump criticized the Russian attack on Kyiv, in which at least 12 people were killed. Trump appealed to Putin on his social media platform, Truth Social: "Vladimir, STOP!"

President Trump expressed hope for significant progress in the peace talks. "This next few days is going to be very important. Meetings are taking place right now," he declared. Trump emphasized that he is close to reaching an agreement, which could be crucial for ending the conflict.

The "Wall Street Journal" notes that the current situation is frustrating for Trump, who promised a quick end to the war. There are concerns about whether the U.S. President will pressure Russia the same way he pressures Ukraine. As observers note, such a move could threaten his efforts to get closer to the Kremlin.

Meanwhile, the French "La Figaro" points out that the United States is moving from supporting Ukraine to "an alliance with Moscow against Kyiv." According to the newspaper's commentators, this further emphasizes the shift in alliances, which began to emerge after Trump's return to the White House.

"La Figaro" recalls that Trump's ambition is to "pull Moscow out from under Beijing's influence." The paper notes that the U.S. President underestimates both the Chinese-Russian drive to "end American dominance" and "Putin's ability to play on several fronts simultaneously."