Earlier, U.S.
officials told Axios that Witkoff was expected to meet with Putin on Friday, as Trump pushes for a ceasefire agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.Some reports suggested Witkoff may press Russia to recognize Ukraines right to maintain its military and defense industry as part of a future peace deal.
When Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he said one of Russias war goals was to demilitarize the country.Trump said Wednesday that he was very close to reaching an agreement with the Kremlin, while accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of being harder to deal with after he rejected the idea of recognizing Russian control of the Crimean peninsula.On Friday, Reuters reported thatUkrainian and European officials have pushed back against U.S.
proposals aimed at ending the war, offering counterproposals during recent talks in Paris and London.
The differences center on issues, including territorial control and the future of Ukraines military.The U.S.
proposal, put forward by Witkoff, includes recognizing Russias control over Crimea and parts of eastern and southern Ukraine, while the European-Ukrainian text defers territorial discussions until after a ceasefire, according to Reuters.The two sides also diverge on sanctions and security terms, with Ukraine seeking stronger guarantees and compensation funded by frozen Russian assets.Trump has faced criticism for appearing more amenable to Russias demands than to those of Ukraine and its European allies.
Kremlin officials have repeatedly praised the Trump administrations shift in foreign policy priorities.On Thursday, Trump called on Putin to get this Peace Deal DONE following a wave of Russian airstrikes on Kyiv that killed at least 12 people and injured dozens more.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later said that Moscow was ready to make a deal and that remaining issues were being fine-tuned.Zelensky has urged an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire in response to the recent deadly attacks on Ukrainian cities.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trumps patience was running very thin amid the protracted negotiations.AFP contributed reporting.