US Special Envoy Witkoff Will Visit Moscow To Discuss Russia-Ukraine Peace

The impact of the Russian attack on Ukraine/PHOTO via X@ ZelenskyyUa

JAKARTA - A senior Kremlin official confirmed the US special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Moscow next week as efforts intensify to reach consensus to end the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine.

However, Yuri Ushakov, adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign affairs affairs, insists Kremlin officials have not officially accepted the US initial peace proposal, although they admit they have seen a copy obtained through a secret route.

Representatives of the United States, Russia, and Ukraine held talks earlier this week in the United Arab Emirates.

"The contact is still ongoing, including by telephone, but no one has sat down together and discussed this point by point. That hasn't happened yet," Ushakov told Russian state media.

Ukrainian officials have not confirmed whether the US Army Minister Dan Badminton, who in recent weeks has played an important role in peace efforts, will be in Kyiv in the coming days, US President Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday.

Trump's plans to end the war were announced to the public last week, triggering diplomatic maneuvers.

The early version appears to be highly inclined towards Russia's demands to stop Moscow's invasion of neighboring countries.

After weekend talks in Geneva between US and Ukrainian officials, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the plan could be "implemented," although key points remain unresolved.

A Ukrainian official said Zelenskyy hoped to meet Trump in the coming days.

Witkoff's role in peace efforts was again highlighted on Tuesday when reports indicated he was "coaching" Ushakov, Putin's aide, about how the Russian leader should convey Ukraine's peace plan to Trump.

Trump described Witkoff's reported approach to Russia in the phone call as a "standard" negotiation procedure.

"He has to sell this to Ukraine. He has to sell Ukraine to Russia," Trump told reporters late Tuesday. "That's what a deal maker does," he continued.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he would "not overestimate the significance" of the leaked phone call, the Russian government news agency TASS reported.

However, "there will obviously be a large number of people in various countries, including the United States, who will try to disrupt this peace effort," said Peskov of Kyrgyzstan, where Putin visited this week.

When asked if the peace deal was getting closer, Peskov told reporters, "It's too early to say it," according to TASS.