Trump envoy Steve Witkoff engages Putin on Ukraine ceasefire
Steve Witkoff, representing US President Donald Trump, visited Russia for discussions with Russian leader Vladimir Putin regarding a ceasefire with Ukraine, and subsequently gave an interview to CNN on Sunday. He outlined when we might expect further talks between the White House and the Kremlin.
"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 stated during the Sunday interview with CNN.
Following his meeting with Vladimir Putin, the US envoy highlighted that a key focus of the negotiations will be the status of the four Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia. He remarked that the discussions with the leader of the Russian Federation were factual and "solution-based," and the positions of both sides have become closer than ever.
However, Witkoff did not address the question of whether the United States recognises Russian territorial gains. He emphasised that the US is advising Ukraine on issues related to the negotiations and remains actively involved.
Trump denies media reports
The meeting between Witkoff and Putin took place two days after the US and Ukraine agreed on a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire.
Putin stated that Russia supports the American proposal to resolve the conflict through peaceful means, although he stressed that any ceasefire should lead to lasting peace, thus addressing the fundamental causes of the conflict. He also suggested that the proposed ceasefire is advantageous for Ukrainians, allowing them a period for mobilisation and rearmament.
In December 2023, Moscow approached NATO countries with a demand for written security guarantees. This included the withdrawal of Alliance troops to their 1997 positions,
"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.
