US President's special envoy Steve Witkoff announced that he has a meeting scheduled with Ukrainian representatives in New York this week. He said this himself in an interview with Fox News.
"I'm meeting with Ukrainians this week. I'm going to meet with them in New York, and that's a strong signal. We talk to the Russians every day," Witkoff stressed, without specifying which Ukrainian representatives would participate or on what date the conversation would take place.
Witkoff, who is responsible for issues related to the war in Ukraine, has already met with Russian President Vladimir Putin several times, including at the Russian-American summit in Alaska on August 15.
"I think he (Putin) made a good faith effort to engage in the process. At the Alaska summit, he certainly did.
Personally appointed by President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff plays a key role as a mediator between Moscow and Kiev as part of Washington's efforts to prepare the ground for a future peace agreement. He is among the few American representatives who maintain a direct channel of communication with the Kremlin, while also preparing high-level meetings with the Ukrainian side.
According to analysts, his presence in the negotiation process is a sign that the White House is seeking a more flexible approach - combining diplomatic initiatives and economic incentives for Russia in order to end the hostilities.