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US Envoy Reportedly Raised Possibility of Russia Keeping Some Ukrainian Territory

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Vlad Litnarovych
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US Envoy Reportedly Raised Possibility of Russia Keeping Some Ukrainian Territory
Steve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East, speaks alongside White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to the press outside of the White House on March 06, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Source: Getty Images)

Steve Witkoff, the US Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East, confirmed he discussed Ukrainian territorial issues with Russian leader Vladimir Putin during a recent trip to Russia, The Wall Street Journal reported on April 17.

In the interview, Witkoff said Putin was fixated on Ukrainian land and claimed Russia may end up retaining control over part of the territory it has seized—but not all of it.

He also suggested Ukraine may care less about certain regions if they are Russian-speaking.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly rejected any suggestion of ceding occupied land to Russia. “All territories belong to the unitary state of Ukraine. Only the people of Ukraine have the right to discuss issues concerning Ukrainian land,” Zelenskyy said.

Witkoff traveled to St. Petersburg on April 11 to meet with Putin, with discussions focused almost entirely on the war in Ukraine. The meeting reportedly lasted nearly five hours.

Following the talks, the US envoy told reporters that the core of any so-called peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine would revolve around “five territories.”

“This peace deal is about these so-called five territories, but there’s so much more to it. There are security protocols, NATO’s Article 5, many details,” Witkoff said.

Earlier, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov reported on the outcomes of a series of high-level meetings in Paris with US officials and representatives of the so-called “coalition of the willing.”

The meetings focused on advancing peace efforts and securing a full and unconditional ceasefire in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

“Together with the Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, we held several meetings, including bilateral talks with the American delegation, which included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special representatives of the US President, Steven Witkoff and Keith Kellogg,” Umerov stated.

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