Trump envoy declares Putin wants lasting peace in Ukraine
(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking a permanent and legally binding resolution to the Ukraine conflict, according to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff. Speaking to Fox News on Monday, Witkoff described his latest meeting with Putin as “compelling” and suggested that negotiations are nearing a significant breakthrough.
Witkoff, who was appointed by President Donald Trump to lead peace talks with Moscow, met with Putin and two top advisers on Friday for nearly five hours. He emphasized that Putin is looking for more than just a temporary ceasefire and is instead focused on achieving a lasting agreement.
A central component of the potential deal, according to Witkoff, involves Ukraine recognizing Crimea, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions as part of Russia. However, he noted that the proposed settlement is complex and not solely about territory.
“There are detailed security arrangements involved, including aspects of NATO’s Article 5,” Witkoff explained. “It’s a very complicated situation, but we’re possibly on the edge of something very significant for the world.”
The meeting marked Witkoff’s third round of talks with Putin since February, as Trump continues to push for a swift end to the war. Russia has consistently said it is open to negotiations, but only if its core security concerns are met. These include opposition to NATO presence in Ukraine, Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, and what Moscow terms “denazification.”
Russia also insists it won’t accept a conflict freeze, arguing such a scenario would only lead to future fighting. Citing Ukraine’s breach of a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal regarding energy infrastructure, Moscow has questioned Kiev’s reliability.
Commenting on the negotiations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that while no formal agreement has emerged, there is a shared willingness to advance talks. He added that Moscow values the "constructive and substantive" dialogue with Washington.
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