Putin signals willingness to discuss peace deal with Ukraine, Witkoff says
Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin (photo: Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin is interested in signing a peace agreement with Ukraine, despite a lack of clear signs that the Kremlin is ready to compromise on its demands, said Steve Witkoff, special envoy of US President Donald Trump, Bloomberg TV reports.
According to him, he will travel to Moscow as early as tomorrow, together with Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, for talks with Putin. During the meeting, the parties plan to discuss a 20-point plan to end the war, which, Witkoff said, is more than 90% complete.
"Everyone wants to get to a peace deal," he said.
At the same time, the special envoy refused to condemn Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure, as a result of which a large part of Kyiv was left without water, heating, and electricity during freezing temperatures.
Ukraine–US talks
Ukraine continues consultations with its European and American partners on implementing the peace plan. At the end of December, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Florida, where he met with US President Donald Trump.
Despite statements about full security guarantees for Ukraine, the most difficult issue — territorial matters — remains unresolved. At the same time, Trump has said that a compromise is drawing closer, while Zelenskyy reported that the peace plan is 90% ready and security guarantees are 100% prepared.
Recently, a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing at the leaders' level took place in Paris, following which Kyiv, Paris, and London signed a declaration of intent regarding the possible deployment of a Western contingent in Ukraine.
The Kremlin's special representative Kirill Dmitriev was also spotted in the French capital. According to media reports, Trump's advisers discussed the American peace plan with him, and Russia may respond to Ukraine's 20-point proposal by the end of the month.
Media outlets reported that Zelenskyy and Trump could sign a so-called agreement on Ukraine's prosperity worth $800 billion during the Davos forum. However, following the latest Russian strike on Ukraine, Zelenskyy canceled his trip.
