US President Donald Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are preparing “new ideas and proposals“ to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. On October 9, they are to present them to the Ukrainian delegation during negotiations in the United States, Axios reports, citing American and Ukrainian sources.
The envoys plan to visit Russia by the end of October and discuss the proposals with the Russian leadership. According to the Axios publication, the ideas were already presented to Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House on October 8.
The conversation also included the US Treasury Secretary, national security advisers of Great Britain, France and Germany, as well as representatives of NATO and the European Union. No details were given about the content of the new proposals.
After Moscow, another meeting with Kiev is coming
Witkoff and Kushner last visited Moscow on September 5. The two then traveled to Kiev, where they spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The new diplomatic efforts come amid a public dispute between Washington and Kiev over the prospects for peace talks. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in early October that the war is at a “strategic stalemate” and added:
„There are no prospects for a diplomatic settlement now.“According to him, the reason is the incompatibility between Russian demands for full control over Donbas and Ukraine's position.
The Kremlin also stated that there are currently no prerequisites for progress towards a peace agreement. Zelensky, for his part, pointed out that the US is not making enough efforts to force the Russian leadership to sit at the negotiating table.
It remains to be clarified what the proposals include
The first presentation of the ideas to the Ukrainian side is scheduled for October 9. After that, a possible visit by Witkoff and Kushner to Moscow could provide an opportunity to discuss the proposals with the Russian authorities.
It is not yet clear whether this is a new comprehensive plan to end the war or individual measures aimed at resuming negotiations. There has been no official confirmation from Moscow or Kiev about the specific parameters of the initiative.
Sources: meduza.io, axios.com