Mr. Steve Witkoff - the US special representative leading negotiations with Russia - shared at a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House that the fastest way to mediate a ceasefire in Ukraine is to support the strategy of giving Russia ownership of 4 regions in eastern Ukraine that Russia has absorbed in 2022, 2 US officials and 5 sources familiar with the news told Reuters on April 11.
Russia added the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk, the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions of Ukraine in September 2022. Russia has also annexed Crimea since 2014.
This is the view Witkoff had previously made public in a podcast interview with conservative media figure Tucker Carlson last month.
During a meeting with President Trump, General Keith Kellogg - the US President's delegate to Ukraine - reiterated Witkoff's case, noting that Ukraine, although ready to negotiate a number of terms related to the disputed territory, will never unilaterally agree to cede all ownership of these territories to Russia.
After the meeting at the White House, President Donald Trump did not make a decision to change the US strategy on the Russia - Ukraine issue. Witkoff then traveled to Russia on April 11 to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) executive director Kirill Dmitriev.
TASS reported that on April 11, President Putin had a meeting with Special Envoy Witkoff at the Presidential Library in St. Petersburg. Petersburg. The closed-door meeting lasted 4 hours, ending at around 10:00 p.m. Moscow time. The main topic of the discussion was the situation in Ukraine.
Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) managing director Kirill Dmitriev described the negotiations with special agent Steve Witkoff as effective. The CEO of RDIF accompanied Mr. Witkoff on trips to St. Petersburg. Petersburg, including St. Petersburg Cathedral. Isaac and Grand Choral Synagogue.
Regarding the meeting between the Russian President and the US special representative, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said that the meeting focused on "various aspects of the solution to the Ukrainian problem". The Kremlin hopes to convey "key elements of Russia's stance and concerns" to US President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared that Washington considers Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's trip to Russia and his meeting with the Russian leader another step towards a ceasefire and a resolution of the Ukrainian issue.
Before his trip to Russia, on April 9, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev at the White House.
Dmitriev is the first Russian official to visit the White House since Donald Trump's first term. No Russian officials have visited the US under President Joe Biden.
Several sources confirmed to CBS News that the US Treasury Department has temporarily lifted sanctions on Dmitriev so that the Foreign Ministry can issue the necessary visa to Dmitriev to the US.
Witkoff met Dmitriev and other senior Russian officials in Riyadh in February during the ceasefire talks in Ukraine.
Witkoff also traveled to Russia in February and was later released by Russian citizen Marc Fulent. He revealed on the program Face the Nation on February 23 that during that trip, he had a 3-hour exchange with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
