Witkoff Arrives in Russia for Putin Talks With New US Proposal to End Ukraine War

Steve Witkoff (file photo)

US special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Russia on Wednesday, setting up a high-stakes meeting with President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg aimed at breaking the deadlock over the war in Ukraine. The trip comes just a day after Witkoff sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Oslo, and US officials say he will carry a fresh proposal straight from those talks to the Kremlin.

The White House hopes the updated plan can "create a path toward direct trilateral negotiations and broader multilateral talks," according to a US official. Zelenskiy, for his part, said the next step should be a face-to-face meeting between himself, Putin and Donald Trump — a format Moscow has so far rejected. Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and adviser, is expected to join the Putin session remotely.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Tuesday's Oslo talks positive, and Washington believes Putin may now be more willing to compromise after Trump agreed to lift sanctions on Russian diesel sales. The proposal follows Oslo discussions on security guarantees for Ukraine, a postwar economic plan, and limits on attacks against energy infrastructure. Whether Putin takes the bait remains the open question.

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