The peace effort to end the conflict in Ukraine may be approaching a "critical week," the EU's top diplomat has remarked, as a representative for former President Donald Trump prepares to meet Vladimir Putin after recent discussions with Ukrainian officials.
Representative with Questionable Ties with Moscow Scheduled for Meeting
Steve Witkoff, the property developer turned negotiator, is scheduled to hold talks with Putin in Moscow on Tuesday, as announced by. Witkoff was recently revealed for instructing Russian representatives on ways to gain Trump's favor.
"This may be a critical week for negotiations," remarked the EU's foreign policy chief, while adding it was "evident that Russia does not want peace."
Ukrainian Leader's Diplomatic Push for Support
Meanwhile, Leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy undertook a tour to mobilize support from Ukraine's European allies. He met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday to examine "the conditions of a just and durable peace," the Élysée Palace reported.
The Ukrainian leader is also scheduled to make his first official visit to Ireland on Tuesday. At the same time, his defense chief, Denys Shmyhal, was in Brussels on Monday for talks with his EU counterparts.
Frustration over US-Led Negotiations
The EU diplomat expressed concern that Europeans were not included in weekend negotiations held in Florida between the US and Ukraine, which she characterized as "challenging yet fruitful." In response to a question about trusting the US to find a favorable solution for Ukraine, she commented, "Ukrainians are there by themselves. If they were together with the Europeans, they would undoubtedly be far more powerful."
Writing on social media, Zelenskyy said the US talks had been "highly productive" but that there were "several difficult issues that still have to be worked through."
Worry over American Peace Plan
European leaders were earlier worried by a US proposal that emerged last month, which was heavily tilted in Russia's favor. Its reported terms included ceding Moscow areas in eastern Ukraine it did not yet control, requiring Kyiv to limit the size of its army, and renouncing its bid to join NATO. While that initial plan has reportedly been modified, Witkoff's upcoming visit to Moscow—his sixth face-to-face meeting with Putin—is expected to heighten concern in Kyiv and across European capitals.
Witkoff is set to travel to Russia on Monday, with Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to advance peace talks. Kushner recently played an active role in talks over a Gaza peace deal. The Kremlin did not specify whether Kushner would also attend the meeting with Putin.
Weekend Talks and Political Strain
The two close Trump envoys participated in the Florida talks between senior Ukrainian and US delegates, which were held at a exclusive golf club developed by Witkoff's company.
After the meeting, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced optimism for an end to the war. "More work to be done. This is complex," Rubio said. "There are a lot of complexities, and clearly there's another side involved here... that will have to be a part of the equation."
Amid the international pressure, President Zelenskyy is facing internal pressure following the sudden resignation of his chief of staff and closest adviser, Andriy Yermak. The resignation came in response to a expanding corruption investigation that has become the most serious crisis of Zelenskyy's time in office.
