Trump envoy takes unexpected path to ease Ukraine tensions
U.S. President Donald Trump secretly instructed his special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, to support the negotiation process with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, reports The New York Times, citing sources.
The information surfaced after Witkoff's visit to Moscow, where the Russian side handed over American citizen Mark Fogel to him, who was previously sentenced in Russia to 14 years in prison.
Trump trusts his envoy
According to NYT sources, Trump secretly authorized Witkoff several weeks ago to "expand his portfolio beyond the Middle East" to initiate dialogue with Russian representatives. Trump, who trusts Witkoff because he has been friends with him since the 1980s, is convinced that his longtime colleague possesses the necessary diplomatic skills to support the end of the conflict in Ukraine, notes the newspaper.
Simultaneously, as the newspaper's interlocutors claim, even before his trip to Moscow, Witkoff conducted a series of discussions with people close to Vladimir Putin. He also discussed possible ways to resolve the Ukrainian crisis with his contacts in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The Gulf countries have long expressed their readiness to act as mediators in peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, emphasizes NYT.
Exchange between the U.S. and Russia
The newspaper also writes that, at this moment, it remains unclear whether there has been a direct conversation between Trump and Putin. Official representatives of both sides do not confirm such contact, but several high-ranking members of the Trump administration, who would typically be informed of such a call, stated that they have no information on this matter.
Witkoff left Russia with the released Mark Fogel on the evening of February 11th. The U.S. administration emphasized that it treats this step as an act of "goodwill" by Russia, as well as a positive signal in the context of a possible peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine.
Former diplomat Mark Fogel was detained at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow in 2021 while attempting to bring 11 grams of marijuana and 9 grams of hash oil into Russia. According to Fogel himself, he used these substances for medical purposes after spinal surgery, as confirmed by the appropriate entries in his medical records. In 2022, a Russian court sentenced him to 14 years in prison.
