Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown interest in a “permanent peace” agreement with Ukraine, according to the United States Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. He made this claim during a TV interview on Monday night. Witkoff’s comments follow “important” discussions with Putin last week in St. Petersburg. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that agreeing on the terms of a peace treaty is “not easy.” Meanwhile, Ukraine and its European allies have urged Washington not to be deceived by Moscow’s strategy of delaying the ceasefire.
In an interview with Fox News, Witkoff said, “We are at a crossroads, one that could be extremely important for the entire world.”
After a five-hour discussion with Putin, he expressed the possibility of a peace agreement. He also mentioned rebuilding Russia-US relations and bringing stability to the region through commercial opportunities.
Before returning to the White House in January, former President Trump claimed he could resolve the conflict within 24 hours. This was the third meeting between Russia and the United States since then. Despite diplomatic efforts, no significant progress has been made in securing a ceasefire. Russia is not offering any major concessions and has continued bombing Ukraine. On Sunday, Russia launched one of the most devastating attacks on the city of Sumy. Trump referred to it as a “mistake.”
Both sides have accused each other of violating agreements on power dynamics facilitated by the US.
Blame Game
Despite Witkoff’s optimistic remarks, Lavrov stated in an interview with Kommersant newspaper on Monday that reaching an agreement on the main elements of a peace treaty is not easy. However, he acknowledged that the Trump administration is trying to understand the “root cause” of the conflict. According to Lavrov, the actions of Washington and Brussels led to the current government in Ukraine, triggering the conflict.
Trump has stunned Ukraine by supporting many of Russia’s agendas. On Monday, he told reporters that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former US President Joe Biden, alongside Putin, started the war. In February 2022, Putin’s forces invaded Ukraine. Trump stated, “Millions of people have died because of these three individuals.”
Mocking Goodwill
Trump’s discussions with Russia in February shocked the world. Critics argue that it provided the Kremlin with favorable terms. The talks regarding the United States’ preferential access to Ukraine’s valuable mineral resources began with a heated debate between Trump and Zelenskyy six weeks ago in the Oval Office.
Ukraine is concerned about being excluded from US-Russia discussions. Zelenskyy told CBS’s 60 Minutes program, “Before any decision or negotiation, people, civilians, soldiers, hospitals, churches, the destruction, or the children who have died—see that.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s European allies have urged Trump and his administration not to be deceived by Russia’s tactics of delaying ceasefire negotiations. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said on Monday that he hopes that after the Sumy attack, Trump and his administration will understand that Putin “is mocking their goodwill.”