WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has launched a renewed and largely secret diplomatic effort with Russia to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, CNN reported, marking one of the most significant peace initiatives of Trump’s presidency.
According to the report, Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy and a key figure in Washington’s back-channel diplomacy with Moscow, has been leading the talks. A source familiar with the discussions said negotiations accelerated this week amid what U.S. officials perceive as new openness from the Kremlin toward a potential agreement.
In a parallel development, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll arrived in Ukraine on Wednesday with a senior Pentagon delegation on what the Army described as a “fact-finding mission.” Army spokesperson Col. Dave Butler said the visit was ordered by President Trump as part of a fresh push to revive stalled peace efforts.
Driscoll met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other top leaders to brief them on battlefield conditions, weapons needs, and the emerging diplomatic track. Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed his meeting with Driscoll, expressing gratitude for U.S. support and highlighting ongoing work on “defence innovations” and steps toward implementing defence agreements reached between Zelensky and Trump. Though not previously visible in earlier negotiations, Driscoll is a close ally of Vice President JD Vance and has worked extensively in defence acquisitions. He was joined by senior officials including Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, Gen. Chris Donahue—the top U.S. Army commander in Europe—and Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer.
Russia also acknowledged that high-level U.S.-Russia contacts are ongoing. Russian Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev reportedly visited the U.S. in October for what a Russian source described as “very productive discussions.” Axios meanwhile reported that Washington and Moscow are working on a 28-point draft framework addressing security guarantees for Ukraine and Europe, as well as the future of U.S. relations with both nations.
However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov downplayed reports of progress, saying there were “no new developments” beyond discussions held during the Anchorage meeting between Trump and Putin in August.
CNN noted that it remains unclear how much Europe or Ukraine are involved in the secretive negotiations—or whether they would support the potential framework. Previous attempts by the Trump administration to broker peace have collapsed due to a lack of concrete commitments from President Vladimir Putin. Trump recently voiced frustration at a U.S.-Saudi investment conference, saying, “I thought that was going to be my easy one… but I’m a little disappointed in President Putin right now.” (ANI)
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