Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, according to a source familiar with the plans. The meeting is part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire in the three-year-long conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Witkoff, who has increasingly taken on a central role in Trump’s foreign policy initiatives, previously met with Putin last month, securing the release of American schoolteacher Marc Fogel. Fogel had been serving a 14-year sentence in Russia for possessing medically prescribed marijuana.
The upcoming talks come as the Trump administration seeks to thaw relations with Russia, a shift from the strained ties during the Biden presidency. Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in engaging directly with Putin to address global conflicts, including the war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading a delegation to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to meet with Ukrainian officials. The discussions are expected to focus on Ukraine’s willingness to make concessions to Russia in order to facilitate a ceasefire.
Rubio emphasized the need for compromise, stating, “We have to understand the Ukrainian position and get a general idea of what concessions they’d be willing to make. You’re not going to get a ceasefire and an end to this war unless both sides make concessions. That’s just obvious.”
He added that the talks would not involve drawing detailed lines on a map but would aim to gauge the potential for compromise on both sides. “We’ll need to see what concessions are in the realm of the possible for them and what they would need in return. Then, we’ll assess the Russian position to understand how far apart we truly are,” Rubio explained.
The dual-track diplomatic efforts—Witkoff’s meeting with Putin and Rubio’s talks in Saudi Arabia—highlight the Trump administration’s push to bring an end to the conflict. However, the path to peace remains fraught with challenges, as both Ukraine and Russia have yet to agree on key issues, including territorial disputes and security guarantees.
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