Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff travels to Moscow as Russia expresses readiness for Ukraine peace talks.
Trump Envoy Reports Progress on Ukraine Peace Talks
American envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed on Thursday that he would travel to Moscow “to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.”
“I think we have made great progress,” Witkoff said during the World Economic Forum in Davos, adding that “negotiations come down to the last issue.” He did not specify which issue.
Media reports suggest an informal meeting occurred between Putin’s representative Kirill Dmitriev and the US delegation – Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump – at the World Economic Forum.
Scheduled for Thursday evening in Moscow is a meeting between Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Vladimir Putin.
Kremlin Spokesman Values Trump’s Peace Efforts
“We would not like to provide any comments on the current stage of negotiations, especially before Mr. Witkoff’s arrival in Moscow and his meeting with Putin,” commented Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, cited by Interfax agency.
“It is obvious that the Russian president highly values the peacemaking efforts of President Trump, both personal and his team’s, including special envoy Witkoff. We are pleased with these efforts and their effectiveness,” he noted.
Putin Expresses Readiness for Negotiations
“President Trump is making serious efforts to end this conflict. As I have repeatedly said, I believe he is doing so with complete sincerity,” commented Vladimir Putin in December.
“The claim that we reject anything is completely wrong and unfounded. The ball is completely in the court of our Western opponents, the Kyiv regime leaders, and above all their European sponsors. We are ready for both negotiations and a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” he added.
Despite such verbal declarations, Russia continuously attacks Ukraine. On Wednesday evening, over a million people in Kyiv had no electricity due to Russian actions, and over 4,000 residential buildings were without heating.