White House Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff has expressed Washington’s interest in mediating an end to the war in Ukraine, stating that while the U.S. did not start the conflict, it is eager to help bring it to a close.

His remarks have fuelled speculation that a peace summit between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin could be on the horizon, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

In an exclusive interview filmed at the White House, Witkoff suggested a diplomatic breakthrough could be on the horizon. Reports have since emerged indicating that a summit could take place as early as this week, possibly in Türkiye. Although the interview was recorded before those developments, Witkoff’s remarks suggest high-level U.S. efforts behind the scenes.

“I think it’s entirely possible,” he said of a potential Zelenskyy-Putin summit. “I think if the U.S. pulls back from this conflict, in other words doesn’t want to be involved with it and says it’s not my war and I’ve tried to do my best, I think that’s a bad result for everybody.” He added that both Russia and Ukraine “are trying to figure out what that means for them.”

Witkoff, a close adviser to former President Donald Trump, has offered to personally mediate such discussions and has been actively engaged with senior Ukrainian and Russian officials. “Our job is to put them in a room together and show them that the alternatives to a peaceful resolution here are bad for everybody. That’s our job,” he said.

As Trump travels through the Middle East on a diplomatic tour, Witkoff confirmed that detouring to Istanbul for a summit would be logistically feasible. According to him, Trump has delivered a firm message to both sides. “The president has issued an ultimatum to both sides that without those direct talks and if they don’t occur quickly, then he believes the United States ought to step back from this conflict, whatever that means and just not be involved,” he said.

Witkoff criticised the origins of the war, claiming it would not have occurred had Trump been president at the time of Russia’s invasion in 2022. “It didn’t need to happen. It would not have happened if there wasn’t a false election and he was president,” he said.

Key sticking points include control over five disputed regions, the offline Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and Ukraine’s access to the Dnieper River and the Black Sea. Witkoff expressed confidence that these issues could be resolved if both sides engaged directly.

“We want to be direct and at the bargaining table directly,” he said. “Would you retreat back behind certain administrative lines? The same thing with the Ukrainians. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is a big part of this discussion because it’s a little bit of a crown jewel.”

Despite criticism for meeting with Putin, Witkoff defended his approach. “I’ve talked to both — to both sides — because how can you be involved in mediating or crafting solutions unless you’re talking to everybody,” he said, noting consultations with officials across Ukraine, Russia, and European governments.

“We need to talk to everybody. Any stakeholders in this conflict, we have to have a conversation with them... That happens from knowing the other person.”

Witkoff concluded by stressing the urgency of peace talks and reiterated the Trump administration’s desire for a swift end to the war through diplomacy.

By Aghakazim Guliyev

Source: caliber.az