News Feed

Trump's envoy Witkoff reportedly lands in Moscow as US seeks Russian agreement on ceasefire

1 min read
Trump's envoy Witkoff reportedly lands in Moscow as US seeks Russian agreement on ceasefire
Steve Witkoff, US special envoy to the Middle East, during an executive order signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, Feb. 3, 2025. (Chris Kleponis / Getty Images)

A plane carrying Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, has landed in Moscow, Russian pro-government media Interfax reported on March 13, citing aviation services.

Witkoff’s visit comes as the U.S. seeks Russian agreement on a proposed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, which Kyiv accepted during talks in Jeddah on March 11. Washington subsequently resumed military and intelligence support for Ukraine after suspending it the previous week.

The White House has not confirmed whether Trump plans to call Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the proposal.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has confirmed that U.S. negotiators are traveling to Russia but declined to reveal Moscow's position on the ceasefire proposal.

U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz reportedly held a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart on March 12, and Witkoff is expected to meet with Russian officials, possibly including Putin, in Moscow.

Witkoff previously traveled to Moscow in February for the release of U.S. teacher Marc Fogel from a Russian prison. Witkoff claimed he spoke directly with Putin for over three hours during his visit.

According to Reuters, some U.S. officials and analysts fear Moscow could exploit the truce to deepen divisions between Washington, Kyiv, and their European allies while regrouping for further offensives.

Avatar
Tim Zadorozhnyy

Reporter

Tim Zadorozhnyy is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering foreign policy, U.S.-Ukraine relations, and political developments across Europe and Russia. He studied International Relations and European Studies at Lazarski University and Coventry University. Tim began his journalism career in Odesa in 2022 as a reporter for a local television channel. He later spent a year and a half at the Belarusian independent media outlet NEXTA, first as a news anchor and later as a managing editor. He is fluent in English, Ukrainian, and Russian.

Read more
News Feed

Russia occupied and illegally annexed Crimea in 2014. In recent months, Ukrainian forces have increasingly targeted power substations, bridges, ferry crossings, air defenses, military logistics routes, and Russian vessels in the Black and Azov seas as part of a broader campaign to isolate Crimea.

Show More