Ukraine Conflict: Steve Witkoff, Trump's Representative, Anticipated to Travel to Russia This Week, Kremlin Deems Visit "Valuable and Beneficial"
In the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, no new information about shelling or drone strikes has been provided, as both sides continue their confrontation. The Russian Defense Ministry reported the interception of 61 Ukrainian drones overnight Sunday to Monday, adding to the tension.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed a desire for peace in Ukraine, but his demands for ending the invasion remain unchanged. These demands include permanent guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO and the annexation of more Ukrainian territory than Russia currently controls. The Kremlin also insists on the formal cession of four Ukrainian regions (Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson) and the Crimean peninsula, annexed in 2014. Additionally, Russia demands that Ukraine abandon Western arms deliveries and any NATO membership aspirations.
Negotiations, led by the United States, began in February 2025. Former US President Trump reportedly offered terms favourable to Russia, but Putin rejected these offers. This rejection is believed to be influenced by Putin's expectation of eventual victory and fears that a peace deal could unpredictably undermine Russia’s position.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed a meeting with Putin to unblock discussions, an offer that has been so far rejected by the Kremlin. Ukraine seeks the withdrawal of Russian troops and Western security guarantees, including continued arms deliveries and the deployment of a European contingent.
The conflict has taken a toll on civilians, with incidents such as drone strikes and artillery fire in the Nikopol district injuring three people, including a four-month-old baby in critical condition and two women aged 40 and 46. In the Ukrainian region of Kherson, one man was killed and two women were injured in Russian shelling.
In a move to resolve the conflict, Donald Trump has given Russia ten days until next Friday to end the war or face new sanctions. He has also threatened to impose "secondary tariffs" on countries that continue to trade with Russia, including China and India. Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, has been sent to Russia, and the Kremlin has reacted positively to his visit, with a meeting with Putin not ruled out.
However, a prisoner exchange proposal has not yet been responded to by the Kremlin, and no new information about the deployment or location of the two nuclear submarines ordered by Donald Trump has been provided. Zelensky has stated that both sides are preparing a prisoner exchange that would allow 1,200 Ukrainian soldiers to return home, following talks with Russia in Istanbul in July.
As the conflict continues unabated, the stalemate in negotiations persists, with little progress towards a peace agreement. The broader Kremlin strategy appears to be prolonging the conflict to prevent Ukraine's independence and maintain Russian imperial ambitions.
- Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's expressed desire for peace in Ukraine, the negotiations led by the United States have stalled, as the Kremlin insists on demands that include the annexation of more Ukrainian territory and the formal cession of four regions, potentially derailing any potential peace agreement.
- As foreign powers mediate a resolution to the war-and-conflicts in Ukraine, politics continues to play a significant role, with both the Russian and Ukrainian leaders holding firm to their respective positions, generating tension in general-news circles worldwide.
