Upcoming Russia-US discussions scheduled for this weekend, according to Trump's envoy
Top American and Russian officials are scheduled to convene on Sunday in Saudi Arabia to advance negotiations concerning the Ukraine conflict, as noted by US special envoy Steve Witkoff in a recent interview with Fox News. Leading the US delegation...
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Top American and Russian officials are scheduled to convene on Sunday in Saudi Arabia to advance negotiations concerning the Ukraine conflict, as noted by US special envoy Steve Witkoff in a recent interview with Fox News.
Leading the US delegation in the upcoming discussions in Jeddah will be National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who are expected to collaborate with their Russian counterparts to finalize a potential ceasefire agreement, according to Witkoff.
In reference to Tuesday’s phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Witkoff indicated that part of their conversation revolved around establishing a ceasefire that entails a mutual commitment to avoiding attacks on energy infrastructure.
“We’ve got to figure out those details. The point is that up until recently, we really didn’t have consensus around these two aspects: the energy and infrastructure, and the Black Sea moratorium on firing. And today, we got to that place,” he remarked.
When probed about Russian apprehensions regarding Ukraine potentially rearming during the proposed 30-day truce, Witkoff acknowledged the complexities involved. He stated that these specifics would be addressed during the meeting in Saudi Arabia this weekend and expressed optimism about the progress of the negotiations.
“The devil’s in the details, but I think it’s a relatively short distance to a full ceasefire from there,” he remarked.
Witkoff further characterized his recent discussions with Putin as productive, indicating that strides had been made toward halting the conflict. “I had two meetings with President Putin. The first one lasted close to three and a half hours, and the second was nearly four hours. They were both compelling. I thought we accomplished quite a bit,” he noted.
This upcoming round of Russia-US talks in Jeddah follows earlier meetings in Saudi Arabia and Türkiye last month, where both sides agreed to work toward resolving the Ukraine conflict and enhancing diplomatic and economic relations. The negotiations in Saudi Arabia have proceeded following extensive phone conversations between the US and Russian leaders.
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
Leading the US delegation in the upcoming discussions in Jeddah will be National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who are expected to collaborate with their Russian counterparts to finalize a potential ceasefire agreement, according to Witkoff.
In reference to Tuesday’s phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Witkoff indicated that part of their conversation revolved around establishing a ceasefire that entails a mutual commitment to avoiding attacks on energy infrastructure.
“We’ve got to figure out those details. The point is that up until recently, we really didn’t have consensus around these two aspects: the energy and infrastructure, and the Black Sea moratorium on firing. And today, we got to that place,” he remarked.
When probed about Russian apprehensions regarding Ukraine potentially rearming during the proposed 30-day truce, Witkoff acknowledged the complexities involved. He stated that these specifics would be addressed during the meeting in Saudi Arabia this weekend and expressed optimism about the progress of the negotiations.
“The devil’s in the details, but I think it’s a relatively short distance to a full ceasefire from there,” he remarked.
Witkoff further characterized his recent discussions with Putin as productive, indicating that strides had been made toward halting the conflict. “I had two meetings with President Putin. The first one lasted close to three and a half hours, and the second was nearly four hours. They were both compelling. I thought we accomplished quite a bit,” he noted.
This upcoming round of Russia-US talks in Jeddah follows earlier meetings in Saudi Arabia and Türkiye last month, where both sides agreed to work toward resolving the Ukraine conflict and enhancing diplomatic and economic relations. The negotiations in Saudi Arabia have proceeded following extensive phone conversations between the US and Russian leaders.
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
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