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Steve Witkoff, serving as the special envoy for then-President Donald Trump, was scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on a Friday, amidst ongoing challenges faced by the White House to mediate an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Arriving in Moscow on Friday morning, as reported by Interfax, this marked Witkoff’s fourth meeting with President Putin within the year. Despite the continued diplomatic efforts, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine showed no imminent signs of resolution over three years after its initiation by Putin. During Witkoff’s approach to the Russian capital, a senior Russian military officer, Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the main operations directorate of the Russian general staff, was assassinated in a car bombing in Balashikha, a suburb east of Moscow.
Concurrently, in eastern Ukraine, a Russian drone attack on Pavlohrad resulted in the deaths of three individuals and injuries to ten others when a drone struck an apartment building. In the nearby village of Yarova, an elderly man and his son lost their lives when a Russian aerial bomb hit their home.
Earlier, on a Thursday, Kyiv suffered its deadliest air strike of the year, killing 12 civilians and injuring 90 others. This spurred a notable response from Trump, who urged the Russian president to cease the “unnecessary” attacks through a post on his Truth Social network.
Efforts to expedite an end to the war in Ukraine, partially aligning U.S. positions with those of the Kremlin, have largely stalled due to Moscow’s stringent conditions. In a recent meeting in St. Petersburg, President Putin conveyed Russia’s readiness to forgo claims to parts of four partially occupied Ukrainian regions under Kyiv’s control.
Subsequently, the U.S. introduced a peace proposal recognizing Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and acknowledging its control over parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. However, Ukraine has consistently rejected any arrangement validating Russia’s annexation, leading to criticism from Trump directed at President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for obstructing the agreement.
The negotiations’ progress remains unclear, as do any additional concessions Russia might offer or its acceptance of other aspects of Trump’s plan. On a Thursday, Trump mentioned Russia’s “pretty big concession” of halting the takeover of the entire country and suggested further territorial compromises might be necessary for a peace deal.
The Kremlin has dismissed certain facets of the plan, such as a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, while backing other elements, including Crimea’s recognition and lifting Western sanctions against Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed Moscow’s readiness to finalize a deal, noting specific components that require further refinement.
Lavrov acknowledged positive developments, including Trump’s recognition of addressing the conflict’s root causes, notably Ukraine’s aspiration to join NATO. The U.S. has firmly opposed both Ukraine’s NATO membership and its full territorial restoration, which remain primary demands from Russia.
Trump has repeatedly suggested withdrawing U.S. involvement in mediating the conflict should a deal not be swiftly reached, potentially leaving Kyiv to defend against Russia’s military with significantly diminished Western support.
