According to US Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff, President Donald Trump has called on Russia and Ukraine to engage in direct negotiations to end the war. He made this statement in an interview with Breitbart News.
"Trump emphasized that these negotiations should begin soon. Otherwise, he believes that the US should not interfere in this conflict. Regardless of what this means, the United States must withdraw," Whitkoff said.
According to him, the US withdrawal from the negotiations will be a "bad outcome for all parties."
According to Whitkoff, the main issues to be discussed in possible negotiations are: Russian-occupied territories, control over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and the Ukrainians' right to access the Dnieper and Black Sea.
"Many of these issues will not be difficult to resolve if the parties sit down at the negotiating table. We will narrow the scope of issues between them, and then we will find compromise and creative solutions," the US representative said.
For reference, Whitkoff has visited Russia three times since February 2025 and met with President Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Whitkoff of "spreading Russian propaganda."
