Putin effectively chose Witkoff as US negotiator with Russia, – WSJ

According to the newspaper’s sources, Putin was interested specifically in meeting with Witkoff. The invitation to travel to Russia came from Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who used Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as an intermediary. The article notes that the Saudi crown prince has long been a close friend of Dmitriev.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly, commenting to the newspaper, insisted that the decision to appoint Witkoff was made solely by US President Donald Trump. She added that "the suggestion that any foreign countries influenced this decision is absurd."

The Wall Street Journal also reports that, according to sources, during Witkoff’s stay in Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed offered to recommend Trump’s special envoy to the Russian side. It is emphasized that Saudi Arabia has for years offered the United States its assistance in brokering a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

As the sources say, Moscow had one condition for the meeting with the US representative: Steve Witkoff had to come alone, without CIA officers, diplomats, or even a translator.

According to the publication, Putin studied Trump’s inner circle, including the US envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg. However, Russian intelligence reports indicated that Kellogg’s daughter runs a charitable organization in Ukraine. This, in Moscow’s view, was a warning sign that Kellogg could be hostile to Russia’s demands.

The WSJ describes that during the first meeting between Witkoff and Putin, the US representative continuously took notes while listening to the Kremlin leader lecture about Russia’s "thousand-year history." At the same time, Putin was assessing whether the man sitting across from him was genuinely open to the Russian position.

The newspaper also highlights that Witkoff has already made six trips to Moscow, while never visiting Ukraine. According to a White House representative, Witkoff flies to Russia on his private jet and pays all expenses himself. In addition, on some foreign trips, he brings his partner, Lauren Olaya, a former professional golfer and television host.

Journalists note that senior US officials who previously traveled to Russia received briefings known as the "Moscow Rules," which outlined numerous methods used by Russian agents to monitor, entrap, compromise, or recruit American visitors.

The newspaper suggests that Witkoff’s rise as a key interlocutor with the Kremlin can be seen, in part, as the result of Putin’s efforts to marginalize traditional US diplomats and instead engage influential business figures. This approach, according to the publication, was facilitated by Trump’s well-known skepticism toward established institutions and alliances, as well as his tendency to place a high value on personal loyalty from longtime associates such as Witkoff.

In conclusion, the Wall Street Journal says it remains unclear how Putin ultimately views this businessman-diplomat channel - whether it reflects a genuine desire to end the war or, conversely, an attempt by the Kremlin leader to exploit Trump’s transactional instincts and lure him into a trap.

US peace plan

Ukraine, the United States, and Europe have been working for nearly a month on refining a new US peace plan that could bring an end to the war in Ukraine.

On Friday, December 19, another meeting took place in Miami between NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov and American and European partners. As announced, Steve Witkoff represented the US side.

On Saturday, December 20, Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev also arrived in Miami, where he has been holding meetings with Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Late that night, Putin’s envoy gave his first comment on the Ukraine talks, saying that the discussions were proceeding constructively.