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US special envoy says possible peace talks in ‘next 3 weeks’ may lead to Putin, Zelenskyy summit
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington is “hopeful” that it has put proposals to both Russia and Ukraine that could bring them together “in the next three weeks” and potentially result in a summit between their presidents.
Speaking to Fox News in an interview released on Saturday, Witkoff described the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which on Tuesday is set to hit the four-year mark year, as a “silly war.”
“You know, everyone throws the word ‘dignity’ around. But what does dignity get you if you have that amount of killing there?” Witkoff said, adding that he thinks recent US-mediated peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv have had a “real positive effect in some respects.”
He argued that both Russia and Ukraine “don’t seem like they really want to fight with one another, and I don’t think they do,” adding that he thinks the main difficulty in reaching a peace agreement lies “at the leadership levels.”
He said he and Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and unofficial aide, are hopeful they have made some proposals that will bring both sides together in the next three weeks “and maybe even result in a summit between (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy and (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin.”
He also stated the possibility of such a summit taking place at the trilateral level with Trump’s participation, but noted that the US president does not want to take part in such a meeting “unless he feels that he can consummate this thing and get the best result.”
On his meetings with the Russian president, Witkoff said Putin had been “straight” with him about his red lines and motivations. He defended his multiple visits to Russia, saying that understanding the other side’s positions is necessary to reach an agreement.
Witkoff’s remarks come after he took part in another round of trilateral peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine war in Geneva, Switzerland, earlier this week.
The talks on Tuesday and Wednesday followed up on two earlier rounds of negotiations in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23-24 and Feb. 4-5.
ANEWS
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