US Envoy Advocates Peace Talks Following Trump-Putin Summit

Steve Witkov, the US Peace Mission envoy, suggested on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other global leaders view recent peace talks between Russia and Ukraine as a “victory.” This follows a meeting where former President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin gathered on Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, to pursue discussions aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict. While no official agreement was reached, Witkov stated in an interview that leaders, including Zelensky, seemed satisfied with the discussions.

“Once the Alaska Summit concluded, I was in touch with President Zelensky. I shared my perspective,” Witkov explained. “It was understood by everyone on the call, including various European leaders, that we had made significant progress in showing that the summit could lead to more meaningful accommodations than previously anticipated. It was recognized as a victory,” he added.

Witkov didn’t directly mention Zelensky in his remarks about the satisfaction of European leaders with the summit’s outcomes.

Trump and Putin engaged in a nearly three-hour dialogue and subsequently held a joint press conference discussing the conflict and their negotiations. Even though no formal agreements emerged, Trump expressed a hopeful outlook regarding a potential deal in the future.

“We had a very productive meeting, and we found agreement on numerous points. There are just a few remaining, some of which are relatively unimportant. Perhaps the major one remains, but there’s a strong chance we can resolve it,” Trump remarked during the press conference.

Following the summit, Trump mentioned that Putin agreed to meet with Zelensky and might attend that meeting.

On Monday, Trump expects to gather with Zelensky and other European leaders at the White House to discuss ways to conclude the conflict. Trump also mentioned to Fox News’ Sean Hannity that he would suggest to Zelensky to “make a deal” in his future discussions with Russian leaders.

Back in May, Trump had indicated that peace discussions would commence after a two-hour conversation with Putin. However, the Russian president was initially reluctant to engage with Ukraine. By July, Trump had announced intentions to send offensive weapons to Ukraine and warned of stringent tariffs and sanctions against Russia if they failed to enter negotiations.

As the 2024 campaign unfolds, Trump has been advocating for peace between Russia and Ukraine, arguing that such a situation wouldn’t have arisen had he been in power instead of President Biden.