In a high-stakes diplomatic sprint ahead of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that his administration is on the cusp of a breakthrough in ending the Russia-Ukraine war, dispatching special envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow for direct talks with President Vladimir Putin.
The move comes as Ukraine signals tentative agreement to a revised U.S.-backed peace framework, though key sticking points—like territorial concessions and security guarantees—remain unresolved amid fresh Russian strikes on Kyiv that claimed seven lives overnight.
President Trump announced Tuesday that special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow next week to finalize a Russia-Ukraine peace deal, declaring “tremendous progress” and “only a few remaining points” to resolve.
European leaders welcomed the momentum; Macron offered French ceasefire monitors. After three years and hundreds of thousands of casualties, the war may be weeks from a freeze—if Moscow signs on.
