The White House said it is “very optimistic” ahead of special envoy Steve Witkoff’s Tuesday meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as U.S. officials continue efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The Kremlin confirmed the meeting is expected to begin around 5 p.m. local time, or 9 a.m. ET, and that Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, is expected to participate. The discussions follow recent U.S.-Ukrainian talks in Florida, where Witkoff, Kushner, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Ukrainian officials to revise the Trump administration’s peace plan proposal.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration is “very optimistic” after the Florida talks, noting progress had been made, but some issues still required further work. The Kremlin also highlighted the meeting as a potential “very important step toward peace,” although expectations for a breakthrough remain low, as Putin has reiterated hardline demands for Ukraine to cede territory. Russian officials also reported recent gains in eastern Ukraine, a claim not independently verified.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and was scheduled to meet Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in Dublin. Zelenskyy emphasized European unity against Russian aggression and reiterated Ukraine’s commitment to achieving a lasting peace, warning that Russia must match that commitment.
The Moscow meeting marks the sixth sit-down between Witkoff and Putin this year, amid continued efforts by the White House to secure a peace agreement. Discussions in Florida and Geneva focused on refining a revised 19-point peace plan, adjusting an earlier 28-point proposal that had been criticized as favoring Russia. Leavitt said the U.S. negotiators are optimistic about the process but deferred details to those directly involved in the talks.