U.S. Envoy Reports Progress on Ukraine Ceasefire After Meetings with Putin
Steve Witkoff claims a 30-day ceasefire agreement is nearing completion but faces criticism for his portrayal of Vladimir Putin and omission of Russian aggression in his remarks.
- Steve Witkoff, acting as a special envoy for the Trump administration, has held two meetings with Vladimir Putin in Moscow to negotiate a 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict.
- Witkoff stated that the ceasefire would serve as a precursor to discussions on a permanent peace agreement and claimed that negotiations are close to reaching their goal.
- His comments describing Putin in positive terms and emphasizing trust-building have drawn criticism for failing to address Russia's invasion of Ukraine and documented war crimes.
- Witkoff revealed that Putin presented him with a portrait of Donald Trump as a gift, which he later gave to Trump, who reportedly found it moving.
- There are ongoing discussions about a potential Trump-Putin meeting in the coming months, though logistical and political challenges currently make such a meeting uncertain.
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