Trump to send Witkoff to Moscow as US pushes to finalise Ukraine peace deal

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he is sending his envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow next week to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin, as the US president works to finalise a deal to end the war in Ukraine.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump stated that only “a few remaining points of disagreement” were unresolved, though European leaders voiced doubts while Russian missiles continued to strike Ukrainian cities.

He added that he hoped to meet Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “soon”, but only when the agreement was final or close to completion. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said Witkoff may be joined in Moscow by the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

A heavily Russia-leaning initial US plan has been replaced by a proposal more favourable to Ukraine. An official familiar with the new draft told AFP it was “significantly better”, though US officials said “delicate” issues remain. French President Emmanuel Macron warned that there was “clearly no Russian willingness” to agree to a ceasefire or to discuss the revised proposal.

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Intensive negotiations have been underway since the weekend, beginning with talks in Geneva where Ukrainian and US representatives reviewed the original 28-point plan, now reduced to 19. US media reported that further discussions involving US and Russian delegates were taking place in Abu Dhabi, while leaders of 30 countries backing Ukraine met by video conference on Tuesday.

US negotiator Dan Driscoll expressed optimism after talks with Russian counterparts. His spokesman said, “The talks are going well, and we remain optimistic.” The White House pointed to “tremendous progress”, while noting that a few details still required resolution.

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Attacks intensify as negotiations continue

Despite the diplomatic activity, the war continued without pause. On Tuesday night, a major Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia damaged at least seven high-rise buildings and left 12 people hospitalised, according to the regional military administration. The previous night in Kyiv, explosions began around 1:00 am local time as drones and missiles hit the city, killing seven people and setting fires in residential blocks. Thick smoke, reflecting red and orange in the defensive fire, rose over the capital as residents sought shelter in metro stations.

Trump, who has long said he could settle the conflict within 24 hours, announced last week that he wanted Kyiv to approve his plan by Thursday, the US Thanksgiving holiday. The original proposal, which aligned with several Russian objectives, caused concern in Ukraine and Europe, including bans on future Nato membership and the surrender of additional territory to Russia.

The updated version has been more acceptable to Kyiv. A key improvement, according to an official familiar with the text, is the rise in the proposed cap on Ukraine’s future military forces from 600,000 to 800,000 members. Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov said there was “common understanding on the core” of the agreement between Ukraine and the United States, though outstanding issues should be resolved in direct talks “at the earliest suitable date”.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer cautioned that “there’s still a long way to go and a tough road ahead.” Russia continues to occupy around a fifth of Ukraine, with vast areas devastated. Tens of thousands of civilians and soldiers have been killed, and millions have fled the east.

Ukrainian army Sergeant Ivan Zadontsev said negotiations were “healthy” and acknowledged fatigue among troops, adding: “We need a break.” However, he said proposals from both Washington and the European Union “do not serve Ukraine’s national interests.”