US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that he was sending envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week as Trump seeks to close out a deal to end the war in Ukraine.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that there were “only a few remaining points of disagreement” and expressed hope to meet with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, “but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages.”
Washington’s 28-point proposal to end the war might have originated in a call between Witkoff and Putin’s foreign policy adviser, according to a transcript of their conversation Bloomberg reported that it had obtained.
Photo: Reuters
According to the transcript, Witkoff advised the creation of a 20-point peace plan for Ukraine “just like we did in Gaza,” and urged that Putin bring it up with Trump.
The 28-point plan has been replaced by another taking in more of Kyiv’s interests.
An official familiar with the amended version said that it was “significantly better.”
However, French President Emmanuel Macron has thrown cold water on the idea of a rapid solution.
Speaking after a call between the so-called coalition of the willing, which supports Kyiv, Macron said that there is “clearly no Russian willingness” for a ceasefire or the new, more Ukraine-friendly proposal.
Yet US negotiator Dan Driscoll emerged upbeat from meeting with Russian counterparts, with his spokesman saying: “The talks are going well and we remain optimistic.”
The White House cited “tremendous progress,” but added that “there are a few delicate, but not insurmountable details that must be sorted out.”
The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, continued unabated on Tuesday night, with Russia launching a series of strikes on Zaporizhzhia that wounded 18 people and damaged 31 apartment blocks.
The night before, powerful explosions rocked Kyiv beginning at about 1am as Russian drones and missiles rained down, setting fires in apartment buildings.
City officials said that seven people were killed.
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