Trump sends Witkoff to meet Putin in Moscow: 'Only a few disagreements remain'

Signs have come out of Washington, Moscow and European capitals Tuesday night that, after four years of fighting and countless rounds of stalled negotiations, the war between Russia and Ukraine may at last be drawing near a conclusion. U.S. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday evening, following breakthroughs in talks with the Russians and Ukrainians in recent days, that he is dispatching his special envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow to meet with Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared he is "ready to move ahead" with the U.S. plan to end the war, after amendments were made earlier this week. The positive signals come after tense days around the so‑called “28‑point plan” drafted by Trump’s team in consultation with Russia and revealed last week. The plan — which required Ukraine to relinquish all the territories Russia has occupied (roughly 19% of Ukrainian land), abandon its bid to join NATO and reduce its army by half — was widely seen in the West as a Moscow‑dictated surrender document. Zelensky had warned Ukrainians the country might have to choose between continued U.S. support and maintaining its dignity and freedom. However, earlier this week senior Ukrainian and European officials met with Washington allies in an attempt to bridge the vast differences between the parties. At the end of the talks in Geneva both sides issued optimistic statements and reported significant progress. It was later revealed the plan had been scaled back into a “19‑point plan” with major adjustments based on Kyiv’s demands — including removal of the ban on NATO membership and reconsideration of the requirement that Ukraine abandon in advance the territories it still holds in Donbas (most of which are already controlled by Russia). The Wall Street Journal reported that the original document’s much stricter limitation on the size of Ukraine’s army had also been greatly softened: the new proposal limits it to 800,000 troops, rather than 600,000. In their statements today all parties emphasized that the most sensitive issues—such as Ukraine’s territorial concessions—still require direct negotiations between Kyiv and Washington. Zelensky announced that he will discuss these with Trump. Kyiv is attempting to schedule a White House meeting with the U.S. president, possibly in the coming days. In a post Tuesday night on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump signaled renewed momentum, stating that the original 28‑point plan had “undergone improvements” and claiming that only “a few points of disagreement” remain. Trump said he was sending Witkoff to meet with Putin in Moscow and also dispatching U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to meet Ukrainian officials. Trump added there is a possibility he will meet with Putin and Zelensky in the near future — but only once further progress is recorded in the negotiations. Trump’s announcements follow Driscoll’s discussions with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi Monday and Tuesday, and after the spokesman for Driscoll said: “Talks are advancing well and we continue to be optimistic.” Earlier Tuesday, during a White House event, Trump said he believed a peace deal to end the Ukraine war is approaching, “and we are going to get there.” Zelensky told several European leaders Tuesday night that he is “ready to advance” with the U.S. plan in its current form, but noted that it still includes “sensitive points” which he intends to discuss with Trump. According to Ukrainian diplomats, Kyiv is particularly concerned about the demand to relinquish occupied territories. French President Emmanuel Macron told the same meeting that efforts to end the Ukraine war are gaining momentum and that they are at a “critical junction”: “We need to seize this momentum.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer added: “I do believe we are moving in a positive direction.” Nevertheless, Oleksandr Bovoz, one of the Ukrainian delegation at the Geneva talks, cautioned: “It is still too early to say anything is agreed.” Several European leaders also warned the road to peace remains long, and early signs from Russia regarding the revised document have raised doubts about its chances of success. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday the revised plan must reflect the spirit of understanding reached between Putin and Trump during their meeting in Alaska last summer: “If the spirit of understanding disappears,” he warned, “then it will of course be a completely different situation for Russia.”