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Steve Witkoff: Ukraine-Russia Talks Made More Progress in Two Months Than Four Years
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US envoy Steve Witkoff said Ukraine-Russia negotiations had made more progress in the past two months than in the previous four years, according to a UNITED24 Media correspondent at the YES conference on February 24.
He made the remarks in a video appearance during a discussion hosted by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation in Kyiv.
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Witkoff said talks began with a meeting in Geneva aimed at establishing a framework. He said negotiators set aside territorial questions “for the time being.”
He also added that the negotiations were now centered on drafting a security framework that could convince Ukrainians a settlement would prevent a return to war, calling credible guarantees the essential condition for any deal.
“There is no deal here unless Ukraine and its people can believe that they will be able to live in peace,” he said.
Witkoff mentioned that a separate “prosperity” track was also under discussion. He said it focused on Ukraine’s postwar economic potential, including future opportunities in industry, data centers, and oil and gas.
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Witkoff described the US role as mediation rather than directing outcomes.
He said meetings in Abu Dhabi helped reduce what he called “miscommunication,” and included military-to-military and economic discussions in breakout sessions.
He noted that he planned to return to Geneva for further talks with Ukrainian representatives, and that he had scheduled contacts with Russian officials on the next round.
On guarantees, Witkoff said discussions had involved senior US and Ukrainian military officials.
He remarked that Europe was assembling a “basket” of commitments with additional US backing, and said an “Article 5-like” liability would send a strong message.
US envoy also said he supported a potential meeting between the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy once preliminary issues were sufficiently addressed.
Witkoff mentioned that it was too early to discuss the format and that ongoing work was focused on security and economic arrangements.
Earlier, it was reported that the third round of trilateral talks in Geneva brought some advances on ceasefire monitoring and political discussions, with Ukraine working constructively within its mandate even as territorial issues remain unresolved.
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