WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to engage in a significant conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, according to special envoy Steve Witkoff. This dialogue comes amid ongoing tensions surrounding the proposed U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Ukraine, which Russia has yet to endorse.
Witkoff expressed optimism about the upcoming discussion, stating in a CNN interview, “The two presidents are going to have a really good and positive discussion this week.”
He also said that, teams of US negotiators would meet counterparts from both Ukraine and Russia during the coming week.
“I am really hopeful we are going to see some progress here,” he said.
In the lead-up to this high-level exchange, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The two officials reviewed “concrete aspects of the implementation of understandings” reached during their recent summit in Saudi Arabia last month, which marked the first direct engagement between U.S. and Russian leaders since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Following their conversation, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Lavrov and Rubio would maintain communication, though there was no reference to the proposed ceasefire.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce noted that they spoke about “next steps” regarding Ukraine and reaffirmed their commitment to reestablishing communication channels between the two nations.
As part of its diplomatic efforts, Washington has introduced a 30-day immediate ceasefire proposal, following discussions in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed support for the plan, President Putin has yet to agree, citing “serious questions” that need to be addressed. Zelenskyy has criticized Moscow for its apparent reluctance to conclude the conflict, suggesting that the Kremlin may prefer to enhance its military position before contemplating any ceasefire agreement.
