US President Donald Trump's chief negotiator on the Russian-Ukrainian war, Steve Witkoff, predicts a "successful" phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. He believes that this conversation "will greatly help determine where we are and how we will complete these negotiations." This is reported by UNN with reference to ABCnews.
I think the president will have a successful conversation with Vladimir Putin. They know each other. The President is determined to do something here... if he can't do it, no one can
On May 16, delegations from Ukraine and Russia met in Turkey for the first direct talks related to a ceasefire and peace. However, the Russians made unrealistic demands. A week earlier, US Vice President Jay Dee Vance seemed to echo the Russian demands, noting that "they are asking for too much." Asked if he shared Vance's assessment, Witkoff told co-host Jonathan Karl that, in his assessment, this is a very difficult conflict that should not have happened.".
I think that in such negotiations people take certain positions. The art here is to narrow... this, you know, wide gap between the parties. And I think we've done that to some extent. To some extent, each side... you know, defines its positions. And I think Monday will largely help determine where we are and how we will complete these negotiations
Recall
On May 17, Trump announced that he would speak with Putin by phone on Monday at 10:00 a.m. The US President said he plans to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and "various" NATO allies after speaking with Putin.