U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he is sending his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Moscow for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding a potential peace agreement with Ukraine. Kyiv has said it is ready to “push forward” with the plan, though several “sensitive points” still remain under negotiation.
Following a day of intense shuttle diplomacy — involving delegations meeting across parts of the Middle East and Europe — momentum appeared to grow toward a deal that could end the largest and deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II.
Trump wrote on social media on November 25 that the initial 28-point U.S. peace plan had been refined with input from both sides, leaving only a few remaining areas of disagreement.
He added:
“In hopes of finalizing this peace plan, I have directed my Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, to meet with President Putin in Moscow, while Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll meets with the Ukrainians.”
According to a U.S. Army spokesperson, Driscoll met a Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi on November 25 in an effort to narrow differences over the Trump administration’s proposal, which was drafted after talks between American and Ukrainian officials in Geneva.
Ukrainian representatives have now traveled to Abu Dhabi for further discussions with Driscoll and other U.S. officials, CBS News and the Financial Times reported.
In an address on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said:
“America is very active, Europe is very active, as are our other partners. Everyone shares the same agenda — only Moscow wants to keep the war against Ukraine as its top priority.”
A Plan Seen as Favorable to Moscow
The original 28-point U.S. proposal was widely viewed as more favorable to Russia.
Over the weekend, Ukrainian officials met in Geneva with American representatives — including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio — to revise the plan and reduce demands that Kyiv considered too close to capitulation.
During the Geneva talks, the draft was reduced to 19 points, though several of the most sensitive issues — including security guarantees for Ukraine — remain unresolved.
The Kremlin confirmed that Witkoff is expected in Moscow next week. Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told Russian state media that a preliminary agreement had been reached for the visit.
Meanwhile, Trump wrote that he expects to meet both Zelensky and Putin once the peace deal is nearly finalized.
“I look forward to meeting President Zelensky and President Putin soon — but ONLY when the agreement has ended this war and is FINAL or in its final stages,” Trump stated.
