One of President Donald Trump’s top guys, special envoy Steve Witkoff, just touched down in Moscow as the U.S. and Russia scramble to nail down a ceasefire deal that could pump the brakes on the war in Ukraine. Things are getting down to the wire, and both sides seem to know it.
On Thursday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that a U.S. delegation is in town to hash things out with Russian officials. Russia’s state-run TASS news outlet even reported that Witkoff’s plane had landed, signaling that talks are about to heat up. Witkoff, who’s been Trump’s go-to Middle East envoy, has lately taken on a bigger role in trying to put an end to the three-year slog of the Ukraine conflict.
Trump dropped a hint about where things stand on Wednesday, saying, “It’s up to Russia now.” His administration’s been pushing hard for a 30-day ceasefire—a plan Ukraine’s already said it’s cool with. Sounds like Washington’s hoping Moscow will bite.
Peskov, though, played it coy when reporters pressed him for Russia’s take. “Look, the talks haven’t even started yet,” he said. “It’d be dumb to spill the beans in public before we sit down.” Fair enough—guess we’ll have to wait and see.
That said, Yuri Ushakov, a bigwig Kremlin aide, wasn’t quite as tight-lipped. He told state TV he’d already chatted with U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz to lay out Russia’s stance on the ceasefire idea. So, while the official talks are still gearing up, it’s clear some back-and-forth is already in motion.
With Witkoff on the ground and both sides feeling the pressure, the next few days could be make-or-break for a deal. Stay tuned—this one’s getting interesting.