US Special Envoy Witkoff held a closed-door meeting with members of the UN Security Council: on Gaza and other issues
Kyiv • UNN
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff briefed the UN Security Council on various topics, including the Gaza Strip. The meeting took place after Witkoff's appointment as Trump's special envoy to the Middle East.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff briefed members of the UN Security Council on Wednesday on various topics, including the Gaza Strip, participants in closed-door talks said, AFP reports, UNN writes.
Details
The informal meeting in New York took place the day after Witkoff was officially sworn in as US President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East.
At the swearing-in ceremony, Trump hinted at a "very big announcement" to be made before his multinational visit to the Middle East next week, without elaborating.
Witkoff, a billionaire developer and close ally of Trump, has acted as the lead US negotiator in several major disputes, including the Israel-Hamas war, the Russia-Ukraine war, and Iran's nuclear program.
Following the meeting, ambassadors from the 14 other members of the UN Security Council declined to provide details of Witkoff's remarks.
"It was confidential," said Pakistani Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad.
Panamanian Ambassador Elooy Alfaro de Alba called it "an informal meeting, it was very interesting, on various topics, not just Gaza."
Since Trump's return to office in January, there has been no permanent US ambassador to the UN, making it difficult for council members to keep abreast of US positions on various issues, some diplomats said.
Witkoff also met on Wednesday with Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon.
Danon said they had an "important discussion on regional issues" afterwards.
"We will continue to work with our strongest ally, the United States," he added.
