Witkoff meets Putin in Kremlin for eighth time, heads to Kyiv next
US special envoy Steve Witkoff is holding his eighth meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as part of efforts to end the war in Ukraine. He and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are set to travel to Kyiv for the first time the following day.
US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff is meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Tuesday, marking the eighth such encounter since Witkoff's first trip to Russia in February last year to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
This time he is joined by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. After the Moscow meeting, the pair are due to travel to Kyiv for the first time the following day.
An unlikely diplomat
Trump has acknowledged that Witkoff knew nothing about Russia before his first mission, saying he was chosen simply because "people just love Steve." Witkoff himself has said he knows how to negotiate, adding that "the professionals haven't solved it."
According to the Wall Street Journal, it was Putin — not Trump — who initiated the outreach to Witkoff, after having studied the psychological profiles of officials surrounding Trump. The only condition set for Witkoff's meetings with Putin was that he come alone, without CIA officials, diplomats or even an interpreter.
James J. Townsend Jr., a former US deputy assistant secretary of defense, was among those discussing Witkoff's role.
