Lucrezia Ciotti The end of the war in Ukraine may be drawing nearer, but several issues remain to be resolved. Following Vladimir Putin's meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg, the prospect of new trilateral negotiations between Russia, the United States, and Kiev has reopened. Meanwhile, controversy erupts in the US over Witkoff's comments about the Russian president, while Donald Trump aims to reach a peace agreement by the G20 summit in December.
Witkoff defends Putin, sparking controversy in the US: Trump aims to reach a G20 agreement.
As negotiations are sought to restart , controversy has erupted in the United States over Steve Witkoff's comments regarding the Russian president. During his trip to St. Petersburg, Donald Trump's envoy thanked Putin for the release of Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American citizen detained in Russia for nearly four years, who had fought alongside the Ukrainians and had been accused by Russian authorities of being a mercenary.
Addressing the Kremlin leader, Witkoff declared: " You are also compassionate, I give you that, I commend you for that, and I thank you again ." The words also sparked strong reactions within the Republican Party, fueling criticism of the American representative. Senator John Cornyn called Putin " a ruthless killer ," while Representative Don Bacon deemed the episode " another embarrassment ."
On the diplomatic front, the American president is aiming to turn the upcoming G20 summit into a decisive opportunity to reach an agreement between Moscow and Kiev. According to The Atlantic , citing sources, Trump would like the peace agreement to be signed during the meeting scheduled for mid-December at Trump Doral in Miami . The US president envisions being present with Putin and Zelensky when the agreement is signed. For now, this is a political objective and not a definitive agreement: significant differences remain to be overcome and the parties' willingness to take concrete steps toward a solution remains to be seen.
Ukraine War: Putin Opens a Glimmer of Hope for Peace: Summit Possible in November
" I don't know how close we are to the end of the conflict, but we are moving in that direction ." With these words, Yuri Ushakov, advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin , commented on the prospects for a solution to the war in Ukraine, following the meeting between the Kremlin leader and US special envoy Steve Witkoff, which took place in St. Petersburg and lasted approximately three hours. At the heart of the discussions was the possibility of relaunching the diplomatic process and starting a new round of negotiations with the participation of Russia, the United States, and Ukraine . According to Ushakov, Putin communicated to Witkoff Moscow's willingness to resume trilateral talks, tentatively starting on November 10. Abu Dhabi has been mentioned as one of the possible venues , with a timeframe that could extend until the second half of the month. The American envoy described the meeting with the Russian president as " constructive ," confirming that discussions will continue at a technical level. “ While there remains much important work to be done, Trump remains committed to bringing this war to an end ,” Witkoff said.
The Kremlin adviser also reported that other international issues were discussed during the meeting, including the situation in the Gulf, a possible face-to-face meeting between Putin and Donald Trump in China, and the diesel agreement between Moscow and Washington. The Oslo talks were also discussed, on which the US envoy reportedly updated the Russian president, noting some changes in European and Ukrainian positions. Ushakov, however, noted that, in his opinion, the developments discussed did not contain particularly useful elements for overcoming the crisis.
The Kremlin has clarified that the American proposals will be examined by Putin, emphasizing that the prospects for an agreement will also depend on Kiev's concrete willingness to engage in negotiations. For his part, Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed Ukraine's support for a new meeting between Kiev, Moscow, and Washington " as soon as possible , " leaving open the possibility of resuming diplomatic dialogue.