U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to hold a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin this week, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, said on March 16.
“I expect that there will be a call with both presidents this week, and we’re also continuing to engage and have a conversation with the Ukrainians,” Witkoff told CNN after meeting Putin in Moscow on March 13.
Witkoff also said that the U.S. hopes to "see a ceasefire within weeks," as cited by Axios.
The expected phone call comes as Trump tries to end the war at any cost. European allies and Ukraine have warned that a rushed peace deal without adequate security guarantees won't result in lasting peace.
Witkoff said the talks with Putin lasted a few hours and went well. He added that he expected the phone call between the two presidents to be "really good and positive."
"We're bridging the gap between two sides," he said.
"The four regions are of critical importance here," Witkoff said, referring to Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, which are partially occupied by Russian troops.
Witkoff also said that the U.S. is holding discussions with Ukraine, Russia, and European allies, including France, the U.K., Finland, and Norway.
He claimed that Putin accepts "Trump's philosophy" on ending Russia's war in Ukraine, Axios reported.
"The two sides are a lot closer today than they were a few weeks ago. We narrowed the differences," Witkoff said.
Kyiv agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the U.S. during talks in Jeddah on March 11, after which Washington resumed military and intelligence support for Ukraine.
Russia is ready to agree to the U.S.-proposed ceasefire in Ukraine but demands guarantees that Kyiv will not mobilize or train troops or receive military aid during the truce, Putin said on March 13.
Meanwhile, U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said on March 16 that Ukraine was expected to exchange territories for security guarantees.
"This is going to be some type of territory for future security guarantees, the future status of – of Ukraine," Waltz said on ABC News.
He also said that "a permanent pathway into NATO, or a permanent membership into NATO for Ukraine is incredibly unlikely."
Yana Prots
