Steve Witkoff says first direct Russian-Ukrainian talks in three years had been an necessary step to peace
US President Donald Trump’s upcoming cellphone name with Russian President Vladimir Putin shall be “very profitable” and will assist clear “a few of the logjam” in peace negotiations over Ukraine, American particular envoy Steve Witkoff has stated.
Trump introduced he’ll converse with Putin on Monday, a number of days after Russia and Ukraine held their first direct negotiations in three years. Throughout the talks in Istanbul on Friday, the edges agreed on a serious prisoner alternate and to proceed dialogue after every submits an in depth ceasefire proposal.
Witkoff hailed the talks in Türkiye as “good achievements,” and reaffirmed that Trump want to dealer a steady ceasefire adopted by a “closing peace deal.”
“I consider that the president goes to have a really profitable name with Vladimir Putin,” Witkoff informed ABC’s This Week on Sunday. “They know one another. The president is decided to get one thing achieved right here… If he can’t do it, then no person can.”
Requested whether or not Moscow’s phrases had been too harsh, Witkoff stated the battle was “very difficult” and that the edges should discover compromises.
“I believe in a negotiation like this, folks take positions,” he stated. “The artwork right here is to slim that broad berth. And I believe to some extent we’ve achieved that. Monday will go a good distance in direction of figuring out the place we’re and the way we full this negotiation.”
Trump additionally expressed hope that Monday shall be a “productive day.” He added that he plans to talk with Ukrainian chief Volodymyr Zelensky and “varied members of NATO” after his name with Putin. On the similar time, he warned that Moscow might face “crushing sanctions” if no progress is made, whereas US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasised that Washington is decided to keep away from “limitless talks” with out outcomes.
Moscow has rejected calls for for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, insisting that talks should deal with the “root causes” of the battle, together with Ukraine’s aspirations to affix NATO – which Russia considers a risk to its nationwide safety.
Putin has maintained {that a} lasting truce would require Ukraine to halt its mobilization drive, cease receiving weapons from overseas, and withdraw troops from Russian territory. He warned that Kiev would seemingly use a short lived ceasefire to rearm and regroup.
