Putin sees Witkoff as key channel to Trump amid Ukraine mediation frustration
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Russian dictator Vladimir Putin greets U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, on April 25, 2025. (Photo: Sputnik/Kristina Kormilitsyna/Pool via REUTERS)
Despite its frustration, Moscow is waiting for the return of
U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with no
alternative to Washington’s mediation in sight, The
New York Times reported.
The Times noted that the last meeting between Ukrainian and
Russian officials took place in Switzerland in February, with Witkoff and
Kushner seated between them.
In the months that followed, Washington’s attention shifted
to the war against Iran, even as fighting escalated in Russia’s war against
Ukraine.
For both Moscow and Kyiv, Witkoff and Kushner are valuable
contacts because they have direct access to Trump, the Times noted.
An official who spoke to the newspaper on condition of
anonymity said the White House envoys were in contact almost daily with
Ukrainian and Russian officials and held unpublicized in-person meetings. The
official also said Kushner and Witkoff were ready to travel to Russia or
Ukraine if needed, but would not go there, as he put it, “for a photo op.”
Moscow is counting on renewed cooperation with Witkoff and
Kushner, people familiar with the matter told the Times.
Thomas Greminger, director of the Geneva Centre for Security
Policy, said Russia is “desperately waiting” for their return. He also said
there is “deep disappointment” in Moscow with Trump’s envoys, but “no one has
an alternative to U.S. mediation.”
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin particularly values his
relationship with Witkoff, two sources told the newspaper. Putin sees Trump’s
close friend as a crucial channel for achieving Moscow’s goals that only the
United States can deliver. Those goals include keeping Ukraine out of NATO.
Still, Moscow was disappointed by Kushner and Witkoff’s
uneven engagement and the lack of follow-through, sources told the Times.
Witkoff has met with Putin seven times since Trump returned
to the White House, the newspaper noted. He has not visited Ukraine once.
Critics say Witkoff and Kushner sought to broker a peace
deal between Kyiv and Moscow that would reward Russia for its war, the Times
reported. Some therefore believe their shift in focus to Iran benefited Ukraine
by reducing pressure on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept the Kremlin’s
terms.
On June 1, Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s presidential chief of
staff, said Ukraine expected a U.S. delegation to visit Kyiv soon.
On July 2, Zelenskyy also said Ukraine expected a visit by
U.S. presidential representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who had
previously expressed their intention to come to Kyiv to assess the situation on
the ground.
Zelenskyy said that after such a visit, the U.S. side could
convey to Russia the need to begin talks on ending the war without delay.
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