US envoys Witkoff and Kushner to meet Putin and Zelenskyy separately in fresh push to end war

The United States has stepped up diplomatic efforts once again to stop the war between Russia and Ukraine. The move comes after the US midterm elections, in which Donald Trump suffered a heavy setback. Trump himself has acknowledged that the war with Iran was the reason for his defeat.

US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy separately. Washington wants to use the openings created by the talks in Abu Dhabi to take the next step towards ending the war. Discussion has begun in international politics that the war, which has run for about two and a half to three years, should now stop.

The meeting with Putin is likely to cover a possible peace proposal and the differences between the two countries. Some positive issues emerged in the Abu Dhabi talks, and the US wants to discuss them further. The main aim of the meeting is to understand Russia's position on ending the war and to create an atmosphere conducive to peace. How far the American envoys' diplomacy succeeds remains to be seen.

After talks with Putin, Witkoff and Kushner will meet Zelenskyy separately. He will be briefed on the key issues from the Abu Dhabi discussions and on a possible agreement with Russia. Security guarantees for Ukraine, protection of the country's territory and the situation after the war could be key subjects. The big challenge before the US is to find a way to end the war without harming Ukraine's interests.

Kushner said the Abu Dhabi talks have created new possibilities for ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. However, several major differences remain between the two countries. The two sides differ in particular on claims over the Donbas region, security guarantees for Ukraine and the political arrangement after the war.

For this reason, the separate meetings with the American representatives are seen as significant. The world is watching whether they open a path to a ceasefire and whether the two countries become ready for a peace agreement.