Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of US President Donald Trump, described his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last Friday as convincing and explained that steps were discussed to end the war in Ukraine and possibly lead to business opportunities between Moscow and Washington. At the end of the nearly five-hour talks, Witkoff told the US broadcaster Fox News on Monday that Putin had expressed the wish to secure a “permanent peace.” Witkoff emphasized that he is optimistic about reaching an agreement with Putin. “We actually came to a conclusion – I’ll say ‘finally,’ but I mean it in the sense that it took a while to get to this point – what Putin wants is to achieve a permanent peace” he said. The key to a comprehensive agreement revolves around five areas. The Kremlin insists that the parts of Ukraine, including Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk, taken by Russia in 2014, must be recognized in any agreement. “This peace agreement revolves around the so-called five areas, but there is much more behind it” Witkoff said and added, “I believe we are on the verge of something that could be very, very important for the whole world.” Further details were not provided by Witkoff. Although Putin has previously demanded that Ukraine be denied NATO membership, Witkoff said that the Russian president also raised questions regarding the NATO’s basic principle. According to the North Atlantic Treaty, member states must provide mutual assistance in case of an attack on any of the NATO member states. Article 5 provides for collective defense in the event of an attack on a NATO member state. This could lead to a direct military conflict between Russia and the alliance. Kiev sees NATO membership for Ukraine as the best guarantee for the country’s future security. Witkoff pointed out that Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin adviser and Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, participated in the “convincing meeting.” The talks also touched on bilateral relations between Moscow and Washington. After the meeting, Witkoff said he sees “a possibility to reshape the relationship between Russia and the United States through some very convincing commercial opportunities” that, in his opinion, would also bring stability to the region. The meeting between Putin and Witkoff last week was the third since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January this year.
US Envoy: Putin Open to Peace Deal with Ukraine, Boosting US-Russia Trade Partnership
