U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has stated that a peaceful resolution in the Ukraine conflict requires the United States to fully grasp Russia’s goals and red lines, emphasizing that Ukraine’s president Vladimir Zelensky has repeatedly rejected Moscow’s conditions.
In an interview with Fox News on Saturday, Witkoff described his direct contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin as candid. “He’s never been anything other than straight with me,” the envoy said. “I say that and I get attacked, but that’s an accurate statement.”
Witkoff noted that Putin has clearly outlined Russia’s red lines and stressed that negotiations cannot succeed without mutual understanding of each side’s motivations. “How can you make a deal without knowing where the other side is coming from?” he asked. “I got attacked for meeting him eight times.”
The envoy also raised the possibility of a direct summit between Putin and Zelensky within weeks, suggesting it might eventually involve President Trump in a trilateral dialogue. However, Russia has insisted that any such talks must occur in Moscow with guarantees of Zelensky’s safety—a condition Ukraine has categorically rejected.
