Olusegun Ariyo
US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff on Friday met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow at what Trump has said is a key moment in diplomacy to end the war in Ukraine.
Urban Express News Online reports that Witkoff has emerged as Washington’s key interlocutor with Putin as Trump pushes for a deal to end the war, and has already held three long meetings with the Kremlin leader.
Putin was accompanied by his foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov and investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
Witkoff’s latest visit to Moscow comes a day after Trump criticised a Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv that killed at least 12 people, and posted on social media: “Vladimir, STOP!”
Trump, however, also said there had been significant progress in peace talks.
“These next few days are going to be very important. Meetings are taking place right now. I think we’re going to make a deal. I think we’re getting very close,” he said.
