Russia on Saturday urged the US administration to consider “realities on the ground” in any settlement of the war in Ukraine, claiming that the situation was shifting against Kiev.
“The key question is the extent to which the US administration is prepared to invest in finding a real solution to the current crisis, considering the realities on the ground,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the TASS news agency.
He was responding to a question about a possible visit to Moscow by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
On Friday, Trump said the envoys were heading abroad in an attempt to secure a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
“I sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, two great negotiators. They’ve done a great job, and we sent them over to see whether or not we can get something done. And there may be a good chance that we’ll do it,” Trump said.
Peace efforts have stalled amid Washington’s war with Iran, while Moscow and Kiev have intensified long-range attacks, driving civilian casualties to levels not seen since the start of the conflict.
Witkoff and Kushner, who have been involved in negotiations over ceasefires in Gaza and Iran, have travelled to Moscow several times as part of previous diplomatic efforts.
The move marks Washington’s latest attempt to break a diplomatic stalemate in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, which began with Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022.
