US President Donald Trump's special envoy for negotiations with Russia, Steve Witkoff, after meeting with Vladimir Putin, informed the White House chief that the quickest way to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine is to recognize Russia's control over four Ukrainian regions, writes the agency Reuters citing two American officials and five sources familiar with the content of the negotiations.
Witkoff had expressed this idea before, but Kyiv repeatedly rejected it, and some American and European officials considered the Russian demands maximalist. The US President's envoy for Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, also disagreed with this viewpoint, noting that Ukraine, although ready to negotiate on some conditions related to disputed lands, would never agree to unilaterally cede these territories to Russia.
However, Kellogg's position, who was sidelined from the peace agreement negotiations, also changed sharply on Friday. In an interview with The Times, he spoke about a "peace plan" proposing to divide Ukraine "as it was in Berlin after World War II": the east controlled by Russia, the west by Anglo-French forces. After the truce, the western part of Ukraine (west of the Dnieper) would come under the control of European "guarantee forces." The east would remain with Russia, separated by a demilitarized buffer zone about 30 km wide. Later, Kellogg accused the publication of distorting his words about the "division of Ukraine." "The Times article distorts what I said. I spoke about post-ceasefire stability forces that would support Ukraine's sovereignty. In discussions of division, I meant areas or zones of responsibility of allied forces (without US troops)," stated Trump's special representative.
Witkoff also received some support from Republican Party skeptics on Ukraine, but his proposals caused outrage among other Republicans who believe the administration has turned too sharply towards Moscow.
"Witkoff must go, and Rubio should take his place," Reuters quotes a letter from Eric Levine, a major Republican donor, sent to other party donors on March 26.
Trump has repeatedly stated that he wants to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine by May, but two already concluded ceasefire deals—one on energy infrastructure and one in the Black Sea—are not being implemented.
Even before Trump took office, Witkoff managed to achieve a long-awaited ceasefire in the Gaza sector, which has since also ceased to be observed.
Witkoff publicly voiced the idea of transferring four Ukrainian regions—Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson—to Russia for the first time in an interview with Tucker Carlson on March 21. "They are Russian-speaking. Referendums were held there, where the overwhelming majority of residents stated they want to be under Russian rule," he said.
Two high-ranking Western diplomats, maintaining contact with the administration, stated that, in their opinion, Washington does not have a "clear plan" on how to proceed and what to do if Russia continues to delay.
But there are deadlines set by Trump, so the Trump administration will be ready to make significant concessions.
Photo: Reuters