In an attempt to put a stop to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin this week, reports RTE.
Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump’s envoy, expressed optimism that the three-year conflict would be resolved.
He added that he believed the talks between Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin would be “really good and positive.” “I expect that there will be a call with both presidents this week, and we’re also continuing to engage and have conversation with the Ukrainians,” he said, reports RTE.
Despite the extremely complex situation on the ground, Mr. Witkoff told CNN that “We’re bridging the gap between two sides.”
It follows an agreement by Ukraine’s partners to put pressure on Russia, reports RTE.
Ukraine has agreed in principle to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire mediated by the United States, provided that Russia stops its attacks in eastern Ukraine, despite recent tensions between Mr. Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.
But rather than agreeing to a truce, Mr. Putin has imposed terms that go beyond what the US deal with Ukraine stipulated, reports RTE.
Russia is gaining ground in several parts of the Ukrainian front as Mr. Trump’s team proposes a truce.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio “discussed next steps” during a phone conversation, according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, reports RTE.
Mr. Trump has achieved a remarkable breakthrough with his Russian counterpart and emphasised his willingness to put an end to the three-year-old dispute since returning to the White House in January.
The statement did not specify when the next round of US-Russian negotiations, which Saudi Arabia is hosting, would start.
Mr. Rubio and Mr. Lavrov, however, also “agreed to continue working towards restoring communication between the United States and Russia,” Ms. Bruce continued, reports RTE.
The teleconference followed yesterday’s UK-hosted virtual summit.
During those discussions, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer advised his fellow leaders to concentrate on ways to fortify Ukraine, safeguard any ceasefire, and maintain pressure on Russia, reports RTE.
The Russian president would ultimately need to “come to the table,” according to Mr. Starmer.
“Putin is trying to delay – saying there must be a painstaking study before a ceasefire can take place,” he stated, reports RTE.
Military commanders from about 30 nations will meet again in Britain on Thursday after meeting in Paris on March 11 to discuss plans for a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.
To guarantee that Russia agrees to the planned ceasefire, French President Emmanuel Macron called for coordinated action.
“This is a moment of truth because if Russia does not sincerely commit to peace, President Trump will toughen sanctions and retaliation, and so that will completely change the dynamic,” Mr Macron told French regional papers in an interview, reports RTE.
“Russia must respond clearly and the pressure must be clear, in conjunction with the United States, to obtain this ceasefire,” he said in a statement to journalists, reports RTE.
But more than three years after invading Ukraine, Mr. Zelensky cautioned that Russia aimed to establish a “stronger position” militarily before any peace.
According to Mr. Zelensky, “they want to improve their situation on the battlefield,” he told Ukrainian journalists.
“They want to improve their situation on the battlefield,” Mr Zelensky told journalists in Ukraine, reports RTE.
It is unclear if other nations are eager to follow suit, although Mr. Starmer and Mr. Macron have stated that they are prepared to place French and British soldiers in Ukraine.
The notion of foreign troops serving as peacekeepers in Ukraine has been rejected by Russia.
However, Mr Macron said: “If Ukraine asks allied forces to be on its territory, it is not up to Russia to accept or not,” reports RTE.
The prime minister of the United Kingdom has stated that he is open to any offer of assistance for the coalition, suggesting that some nations may provide surveillance or logistical help.
Keith Kellogg has been named Mr. Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, reports RTE.
Mr. Kellogg, a former national security advisor during the first term of the US president, was previously referred to as a special envoy for Russia and Ukraine.
However, he was left out of recent war-ending negotiations in Saudi Arabia, according to NBC News in the US, which quoted a senior Russian source who claimed that Mr. Putin thought he was too pro-Ukraine, reports RTE.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
