Trump’s Mideast envoy to visit Moscow for talks with Putin

By Beril Canakci

ISTANBUL (AA) - US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, is set to travel to Moscow for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as Washington seeks to broker a cease-fire in Ukraine, according to a report by Bloomberg on Monday.

Witkoff’s visit, expected this week, marks his second trip to Russia in his role as Trump’s envoy, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the discussions.

His trip is set to coincide with meetings in Saudi Arabia between Ukrainian officials, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.

Trump suggested Sunday that the US expects Ukraine to show willingness to negotiate peace, saying: “We have big meetings coming up” involving Russia and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia.

Rubio and Waltz met on Tuesday with senior Ukrainian officials, led by Andriy Yermak, a top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Saudi Arabia.

“The meeting with the US team began very constructively, we are working on bringing a just and lasting peace,” Yermak, head of the Ukrainian president’s office, wrote on Telegram.