White House is 'very hopeful' ahead of Russia-US meeting on resolving Ukraine conflict

The White House has voiced strong optimism as Special Envoy Steve Witkoff prepares to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday, amid ongoing efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine.

The Kremlin announced that the session is set to begin around 5 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET) and confirmed that Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump, would be present. This high-profile discussion follows multiple meetings between senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials aimed at revising the peace proposal initially presented by the Trump administration last month.

Over the weekend in Florida, Witkoff, along with Kushner and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, met with a Ukrainian delegation to explore a settlement both sides might accept. Following these talks, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed confidence in the progress, saying the discussions were productive and now attention shifts to Moscow.

A senior Ukrainian official involved in the Florida meetings noted that while progress had been made, certain issues still required further refinement.

On Monday, the Kremlin confirmed the Tuesday meeting with Witkoff. Russian authorities reported that Putin had been consulting with military commanders and a governor from a frontline region in preparation.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the meeting a very important step towards peace, though analysts have tempered expectations, noting that Putin has repeatedly insisted on Ukrainian withdrawal from territories claimed by Russia and has labeled negotiations with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as "pointless."

Earlier, Putin claimed without evidence that Russian forces had seized two Ukrainian cities in intense eastern battles, likely to reinforce the perception of Russian dominance on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy, who did not directly participate in the Florida talks, met in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron, describing the discussions as substantive and focused on advancing a just peace. Zelenskyy then traveled to Dublin to meet Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, emphasizing European unity against Russian aggression.

Updates from Ukraines delegation in Florida highlighted that negotiations remain challenging, particularly regarding potential territorial concessions to Russia. Ukrainian officials emphasized their commitment to serious diplomatic efforts and genuine peace.

The Moscow meeting marks the sixth encounter between Witkoff and Putin this year, as the White House intensifies efforts to secure a resolution to the nearly four-year conflict.

Discussions over the weekend included a revised 19-point peace plan, which had been developed following prior talks in Geneva that reworked an earlier 28-point proposal. The revised plan was designed to address concerns that the previous version disproportionately favored Russia. Details on additional modifications remain undisclosed.

Leavitt, speaking from the White House, stated that while specifics of the Moscow negotiations would be left to the negotiators, U.S. officials feel optimistic about the prospects for progress.

Author: Sophia Brooks