Trump Envoy To Meet Putin In Moscow — Kushner May Join Talks

In what could prove to be a major development in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he is sending a special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Russia next week to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump added that his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, might join the high-stakes talks that are aimed at finalising a peace deal in Ukraine and putting an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, which has been an Achilles heel of sorts for Trump.

Trump said Witkoff is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, adding he could be accompanied “maybe with Jared.”

“I’m not sure about Jared going, but he’s involved in the process, smart guy. And they’re going to be meeting with President Putin, I believe next week in Moscow,” he added.

At the same time, US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is also scheduled to meet with Ukrainian officials in Kyiv later in the week, which indicates that the White House is coordinating parallel diplomatic efforts.

Despite the confidence from the US, a Ukrainian source indicates that progress on the draft proposal could be hindered by at least three crucial sticking points.

Adding pressure to the negotiations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov indicated earlier that Moscow could reject an amended US peace plan if its terms deviate significantly from the understanding reached during the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska a few months ago.

Lavrov further clarified the amended plan must reflect the “spirit and letter” of the original framework, which Ukraine and its allies deemed overly favorable to Russia.