High-stakes Ukraine peace talks advanced through intensive diplomatic sessions as President Trump maintained a firm agreement-finalization requirement for his personal involvement. Trump announced that summit meetings with Putin and Zelensky would occur only when negotiations produce agreements approaching finalization.
The assignment of Steve Witkoff to Moscow discussions and Dan Driscoll to Ukrainian engagement represents the administration’s continued commitment to high-level efforts. White House officials emphasize that recent negotiations have produced meaningful progress.
Trump claimed that substantial advancement has occurred on refining a peace framework that initially generated controversy. The president pointed to evolution from the original proposal to a more refined version as evidence of productive engagement.
Despite administration confidence, persistent international skepticism questions whether these efforts will yield a mutually acceptable settlement. The fundamental challenge remains reconciling demands with insistence on complete sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov participated in discussions, signaling Kyiv’s continued substantive engagement. European leaders conducted a coordinated conference call that included Ukrainian President Zelensky and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.