Steve Witkoff Heads to Russia With Updated Proposal After Meeting with Zelensky!
President Donald Trump is intensifying his push to end the war in Ukraine, dispatching White House envoy Steve Witkoff to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Wednesday with an updated proposal aimed at bringing the conflict to an end.
A U.S. official confirmed that Witkoff will present the revised proposal during the meeting, with Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner joining the discussions virtually as the administration works to establish a path toward direct negotiations between Washington, Moscow and Kyiv.
The latest diplomatic effort follows a series of high-level discussions in Oslo, Norway, where Witkoff met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Norwegian and Finnish leaders, and representatives from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, the European Union and NATO.
According to the U.S. official, the discussions produced meaningful progress toward developing a unified framework agreement to end the war.
Ukraine reportedly brought forward new ideas and proposals that were discussed in detail, with participants reaching what the official described as strong alignment at the working level on the next steps.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SEEKS BREAKTHROUGH WITH PUTIN
The White House is hoping that Moscow will demonstrate greater willingness to compromise as Trump’s administration pursues a negotiated settlement.
The diplomatic initiative comes after Trump agreed to lift sanctions on Russian diesel sales and took other steps welcomed by Moscow. The administration is now seeking to translate those developments into progress toward ending the fighting.
Trump has made clear that he wants the parties to reach an agreement rather than allow the conflict to continue escalating.
Speaking Tuesday, the president said he believes Russia wants to reach a deal, while expressing doubts about whether Zelensky is prepared to end the war.
“If he does not, it’s gonna be a very bad thing,” Trump said. “We want Zelensky to make a deal … If they don’t make a deal, it’s just gonna get worse [for Ukraine].”
The president’s remarks underscore his administration’s push to bring both sides toward negotiations and avoid further deterioration on the battlefield.
JARED KUSHNER JOINS THE PEACE PUSH
Kushner participated virtually in the Oslo discussions and pressed Trump’s position that Ukraine should halt attacks on Russian oil refineries, according to a source familiar with the meeting.
“Jared was very direct,” the source said.
Zelensky subsequently indicated that Ukraine would be prepared to stop striking Russian oil refineries if Moscow took reciprocal steps.
That opening could provide another avenue for negotiations as the Trump administration attempts to establish mutual commitments that reduce attacks on critical infrastructure and create conditions for a broader settlement.
LATEST MIDTERMS UPDATE
ZELENSKY CALLS FOR TRILATERAL MEETING
Zelensky said Tuesday that the next step should be a trilateral meeting involving himself, Putin and Trump.
Russia has so far refused to participate in such a meeting, but Washington hopes its updated proposal will help overcome the impasse.
A U.S. official said the proposal is intended to “create a pathway toward direct trilateral and broader multilateral negotiations.”
The planned meeting between Witkoff and Putin could therefore prove significant in determining whether the latest diplomatic initiative can move beyond preliminary discussions and toward direct negotiations among the principal parties.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Trump’s administration is pressing ahead with an ambitious diplomatic effort to end the Ukraine war, using high-level negotiations, an updated peace proposal and direct engagement with Moscow to seek a breakthrough.
With Witkoff preparing to meet Putin and Kushner involved in the negotiations, the White House is working to turn progress in Oslo into a concrete framework for peace.
Whether Russia and Ukraine will ultimately accept the terms remains uncertain, but the Trump administration is continuing to push both sides toward a negotiated settlement as the president makes clear that he wants the fighting to end.
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