Russia-Ukraine peace talks ‘down to one issue’, says US envoy Witkoff

According to US envoy Steve Witkoff, “a lot of progress” has been made in the Russia-Ukraine peace talks, and negotiations have stalled due to the conduct of US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in what he has called positive exchanges.

At the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday, Witkoff said, “I believe we’ve got it down to one issue, and we’ve discussed iterations of that issue, and that means it’s solveable.”

We’re going to get this solved, he said, “if both sides want to solve this.”

The US ambassador announced that he and Jared Kushner, the son of Donald Trump, would travel to Moscow, where the Kremlin has stated that Witkoff will meet with the Kremlin’s Russian president.

The US envoy stated that he and Kushner would not spend the night in Moscow, but instead would fly to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, where working groups would continue. The first trilateral discussions between US, Russian, and Ukrainian officials will take place during the UAE talks, according to Zelenskyy, which will last Friday and Saturday.

In Davos, Trump and Zelenskyy rendezvous.

Trump and Zelenskyy met while Trump was on the WEF’s sidelines, and he called it a “very good” meeting. Trump told Putin that the Ukrainian conflict needs to end, according to a statement he made to reporters following the meeting.

Zelenskyy, on the other hand, described the meeting with Trump as “productive and substantive.”

Zelenskyy previously stated he would only travel to Davos if a deal was reached with Trump regarding ending the nearly four-year conflict, including with security guarantees and post-war reconstruction funding for Ukraine. “The documents are now even better prepared,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy addressed the WEF after meeting with Trump, arguing that Putin should face international charges, and praising European allies for failing to defend Ukraine with frozen Russian assets.

The man who started the biggest war in Europe since World War II is not only free, but he is also fighting for his frozen money in Europe, Zelenskyy said. “This is the fourth year of the biggest war in Europe since World War II.”

Keep your eyes on Ukraine’s ball.

The two main issues, according to Zelenskyy in December, were the long-term fate of the territory that Russia had captured and areas that are still under Moscow’s control, and who would take control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under Russian occupation in southern Ukraine.

Trump repeatedly claimed on Wednesday that Putin and Zelenskyy were close to striking a deal. I think they are at a point where they can work together to accomplish a deal. After giving a speech at the annual gathering of world elites, he said, “And if they don’t, they’re stupid,” he said.

Despite Trump’s repeated pledges to win the war, the US has held discussions with Russia, Ukraine, and leaders of Europe on various drafts of a strategy for ending it.

Trump’s efforts to end the war were praised by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who said Ukraine still needs military assistance because it is still being targeted by Russian drone and missile attacks.

“We need to keep our eyes on Ukraine’s ball.” Don’t let that ball fall. That implies. Great, peaceful discussions, indeed. Fantastic . He declared that we will do everything to bring them to a successful conclusion, but that won’t happen tomorrow.

The talks come as Russian attacks this week have left 3, 000 Kyiv residents without heat in sub-zero temperatures, leaving the majority of the country’s capital without electricity.