Witkoff advises Trump to cede several Ukrainian regions to Russia
Photo: Steve Witkoff, US Special Envoy (Getty Images)
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff told Donald Trump that the fastest path to peace in Ukraine would be to give Russia ownership of four eastern Ukrainian regions, Reuters reports.
According to Witkoff, the fastest way to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine is to support a strategy that gives Russia ownership of four eastern Ukrainian regions it attempted to illegally annex in 2022, Reuters reported, citing two US officials and five people familiar with the matter.
It’s worth noting that while Witkoff had previously expressed this opinion, this was the first time he voiced it directly to Trump. Following that, the President’s envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, pushed back against Witkoff, stating that Ukraine would never unilaterally agree to hand over full ownership of its territory to Russia.
Amid this, officials within Trump’s administration are increasingly divided on how to break the deadlock between Ukraine and Russia.
Some Republicans on Capitol Hill were so alarmed by Witkoff’s apparent pro-Russian stance that several of them called National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to raise concerns, according to a person familiar with the calls.
Witkoff’s visit to Russia
Steve Witkoff is currently visiting Russia. He has already met with Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s envoy for investment. According to media reports, Witkoff is also holding talks in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Why this meeting could matter for Donald Trump is detailed in the material by RBC-Ukraine.
It’s worth noting that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recently issued strong criticism of Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian investment envoy.
Meanwhile, as Ukraine and Russia continue discussions around a potential ceasefire, speculation is growing that Trump is increasingly dissatisfied with Putin. Fox News previously reported that the US President now believes Putin is deliberately stalling peace efforts, and that is why the US has begun to intensify its consideration of new sanctions against Russia.
Today, political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko told RBC-Ukraine that Witkoff’s visit to Russia should be seen as a key indicator - a telephone conversation between Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
