U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to a “permanent peace” deal with Ukraine, following renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war now in its fourth year.
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s envoy and a key intermediary in recent U.S.-Russia negotiations, made the remarks during a Fox News interview after holding his third meeting with Putin in Saint Petersburg last Friday. It marked the latest in a series of discussions aimed at securing a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv.
Witkoff described the meeting as “compelling,” noting the presence of senior Putin advisers Yuri Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev. He said progress was being made, and that Putin had expressed interest in going beyond a temporary ceasefire.
“Putin’s request is to achieve a permanent peace — not just a ceasefire. We finally got an answer to that, and I think we might be on the verge of something very significant for the world,” Witkoff said.
He also revealed that economic cooperation formed part of the broader talks, suggesting that new business opportunities could help stabilize relations between the U.S. and Russia.
“I believe there’s a real chance to reshape the U.S.-Russia relationship through strong commercial ties that could also contribute to regional stability,” he said.
Despite ongoing diplomacy, a breakthrough remains elusive. Last month, Putin reportedly rejected a U.S.-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional pause in hostilities. The Kremlin has also tied any truce in the Black Sea region to the lifting of Western sanctions.
AFP
