The US presidential envoy will reportedly skip the upcoming assembly with Ukrainian officers in London
US President Donald Trump’s particular envoy, Steve Witkoff, is heading to Russia for an additional assembly with President Vladimir Putin later this week, the White Home has confirmed.
Witkoff has held a number of rounds of talks with senior Russian officers, together with a minimum of three conferences with Putin, and is seen as one of many architects of the rapprochement between Moscow and Washington throughout Trump’s second presidency. Russian presidential adviser Yury Ushakov confirmed on Tuesday that stories of Witkoff’s upcoming go to are correct.
White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt advised journalists later within the day that each Trump and Witkoff “wished everyone to know that the negotiations proceed.”
“We really feel, once more, we’re hopefully transferring in the correct course, and the particular envoy Steve Witkoff shall be heading to Russia once more later this week to proceed talks with Vladimir Putin,” Leavitt mentioned.
The White Home didn’t announce Witkoff’s actual journey plans after the Monetary Instances reported that he would skip a gathering with European and Ukrainian officers to go to Moscow as an alternative.
Washington is predicted to current its peace framework in London on Wednesday, following a collection of high-level conferences in Paris final week, the place Witkoff and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with French, UK, German, and Ukrainian officers.
Rubio, nevertheless, won’t attend the most recent spherical of talks as a result of his “busy” schedule, in response to spokesperson Tammy Bruce. As a substitute, Washington shall be represented by Normal Keith Kellogg, one other Trump envoy tasked with direct negotiations with Kiev.
The Washington Put up reported on Tuesday that the US proposals may embrace formally recognizing Crimea as Russian territory and doubtlessly lifting sanctions on Moscow. In the meantime, the Monetary Instances claimed that Russia is ready to halt the hostilities alongside the present entrance traces.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, nevertheless, warned that “plenty of fakes are being printed now, together with by revered publications,” and urged the general public to depend on official sources concerning developments in US-Russia talks on the Ukraine battle.
Russia has acknowledged that any peace deal should tackle the “root causes” of the battle, together with NATO’s eastward enlargement and Kiev’s aspirations to affix the US-led bloc. Moscow has additionally demanded that Kiev acknowledge not solely Crimea, but in addition the Donetsk and Lugansk Individuals’s Republics, together with the areas of Kherson and Zaporozhye, as a part of Russia.
