Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff with open arms and a wide grin Friday, photos show — as the two met in Moscow for what could be the last round of US talks to convince him to end his brutal war on Ukraine.
Witkoff mirrored Putin’s smile, greeting him like an old friend, the photos show. The envoy will be presenting the Russian leader with a proposed peace plan.
President Trump has repeatedly insisted this week that he is ready to abandon the US role in the talks should Ukraine and Russia not agree to the proposal.
Some insiders and experts, however, question why Trump would give up his efforts to achieve peace without first following through on threats to sanction Russia — or otherwise apply tangible pressure in any way.
“Where is the ‘strength’ in ‘peace through strength’?” one former official from Trump’s first administration told The Post. “He’s strong on Ukraine, but nothing for Russia?”
“The Russia ‘collusion’ was a hoax in Trump 1,” another added. “But Trump 2.0, I’m not so sure.”
Ukraine has already spoken out against the proposed plan after agreeing to a previous one in London with European and US leaders.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday said that the plan was suddenly switched out for one that included a red line for Kyiv: the recognition of Ukraine’s Crimea as Russian.
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine during Moscow’s initial invasion of the country in 2014.
A recognition of the territory as Russian would break both the Ukrainian constitution and longtime US foreign policy under the Welles Declaration that holds Washington will not recognize annexed territory as belonging to the aggressor.
Despite Kyiv agreeing immediately to a previous Trump-proposed temporary cease-fire — while Moscow rejected it — Russia has consistently and blatantly attempted to paint Ukraine as the party guilty for the dragged-out talks.Trump had hoped to end the war on his first day in office, which later became within his first 100 days — a deadline fast approaching next week. In recent weeks, he has grown increasingly frustrated with the war continuing to rage.“The war has been raging for three years. I just got here, and you say, ‘what’s taking so long?’” he snapped at a reporter Friday who asked about Trump’s self-imposed deadlines.On Thursday, he issued rare criticism of Putin in a Truth Social post, telling the Russian leader to “STOP” his continued assaults on Ukraine as Trump’s team attempts to work out a peace deal.
“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV,” Trump raged, referencing overnight attacks that killed nine, including two children from the same family.
“Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said he didn’t know if a peace deal would be signed “by the end of the week” as Trump had hoped, according to the Kyiv Independent.
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