New Delhi/Washington: At the direction of US President Donald Trump, American negotiators travelled to Moscow and Kyiv in a fresh diplomatic effort to facilitate dialogue aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war, according to a statement released by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Witkoff said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a three-day pause in hostilities to facilitate the diplomatic engagements. During the mission, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and officials from the National Security Council, State Department and Treasury Department held discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to exchange and discuss the proposals put forward by both sides.
In Kyiv, the US delegation was also joined by national security advisers from the United Kingdom, Germany and France, who participated in discussions on the way forward.
According to Witkoff, the talks resulted in substantive progress, including movement towards scheduling another round of trilateral discussions involving the United States, Russia and Ukraine. Recent reports also indicate that Washington is seeking to revive a trilateral negotiation format, although major differences between Moscow and Kyiv remain unresolved. (Reuters)
Witkoff said President Trump remains committed to stopping the bloodshed and working towards a lasting and durable peace.
The latest diplomatic push follows meetings between Witkoff and Kushner and President Putin in Moscow, followed by talks with President Zelenskyy in Kyiv. The discussions have been described as constructive, although no major breakthrough has yet been announced. (apnews.com)