US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff expects “good news” regarding the war in Ukraine within the coming weeks. He suggested that a direct meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin is currently possible. The US mediation team has already provided both sides with proposals to narrow their differences and end this conflict.
Steve Witkoff reported this during an interview with Fox News. Alongside Jared Kushner, he developed diplomatic initiatives to resolve territorial disputes.
“Jared and I hope that we’ve presented both sides with a few proposals that will bring them closer together over the next 3 weeks and maybe even lead to a summit between Zelenskyy and Putin,” Witkoff stated.
He did not rule out Donald Trump joining the meeting. However, the US President will only participate if he feels he can achieve the best result.
“He’s got a unique power to do that. So hopefully you’re going to hear some good news in the coming weeks,” the envoy added.
Background and Strategic Goals
The envoy revealed that he met with Vladimir Putin eight times to understand the Kremlin’s objectives. Witkoff emphasized:
“He was always straightforward with me. I say that, and I get criticized for it, but it’s true. He told me what his red lines were. How can you strike a deal with somebody on the opposite side if you don’t know what that person wants? I had to understand what his motivations were, his objectives, etc.”
While official Kyiv and Moscow have not yet confirmed the summit, US-led diplomatic activity intensified in early 2026. Following several rounds of trilateral talks in January and February, the parties achieved a breakthrough on February 5. This led to the first prisoner exchange in five months. President Zelenskyy has previously expressed readiness for dialogue on neutral ground, yet he consistently maintains that Ukraine will not sign a “bad peace” or yield to Russian ultimatums.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that Ukraine is prepared for compromises but strictly rejects Russian ultimatums regarding its sovereign territory.
