CNN: Trump sends “unconventional negotiating team” to Moscow for peace talks

As the Trump administration accelerates efforts to broker a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine, President Donald Trump is sending two of his highest-profile envoys—both outside traditional diplomatic channels—to Moscow.

Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, a former Trump business associate, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, are scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 2. Neither man has been confirmed by the US Senate, yet both have emerged as central figures in Trump’s unconventional diplomatic strategy. Their mission: persuading the Russian leader, who launched the invasion of Ukraine, to agree to end the conflict, CNN writes. 

Witkoff and Kushner will be joined in Moscow by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Administration officials point to recent successes, including Witkoff and Kushner’s role in brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas—a development they cite as justification for entrusting the pair with negotiations on Ukraine as well. After the ceasefire deal, Trump praised Witkoff as “a great negotiator, because he’s a great guy.”

Initially appointed as special envoy for the Middle East and tasked with advancing a resolution to the Gaza conflict, Witkoff soon took on an expanded portfolio that included efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. The dual assignment raised concerns among foreign-policy experts in Washington and European capitals.

Witkoff’s warm rapport with Moscow, however, has unsettled some allies,especially given reports that he has engaged directly with top Russian officials without veteran diplomats or even US notetakers present. Trump himself highlighted one such meeting, describing an encounter between Putin and Witkoff that unexpectedly stretched far beyond its planned duration.

“I said, ‘What the hell were you talking about for five hours? And he says, ‘just a lot of interesting things,’” Trump recounted in October.

By Sabina Mammadli