Trump dispatches top envoys to Russia and Ukraine, insists peace deal is ‘really close’: ‘Only a few remaining points’
President Trump announced Tuesday that he is sending two top envoys — US special envoy Steve Witkoff to Russia and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to Ukraine — as part of an intense holiday push to secure a long-awaited peace agreement between the two warring nations.
Trump claimed the sides are “getting really close’’ to reaching a deal, even as Russia expressed skepticism and Ukraine appeared cautious, waiting to see how the latest talks unfold.
The push comes after the White House introduced a 28-point peace plan last week that was heavily criticized for giving Russia nearly everything it wanted. In response, the administration rushed to craft a more balanced, 19-point proposal that was completed with Ukraine over the weekend.
“The original 28-Point Peace Plan … has been fine-tuned, with additional input from both sides, and there are only a few remaining points of disagreement,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He said he directed Witkoff to meet President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, while Driscoll will travel to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian officials.
“I will be briefed on all progress made, along with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles,” Trump added, saying he plans to meet with Presidents Zelensky and Putin only when the deal is finalized or close to it.
Trump doubled down, insisting both sides “are getting really close” to securing a revised agreement. He has previously set Thanksgiving as the deadline to finalize peace talks.
Ukrainian President Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, confirmed that Driscoll is expected in Kyiv later this week. But Ukrainian officials remain uneasy, believing they already had near-consensus on the new 19-point proposal.
“It’s necessary to wait and to understand with which position Driscoll will come … and to talk with Witkoff to understand which position he is going with to Moscow,” Yermak told The Post, adding that Trump is known for changing his stance quickly.
Russia’s response also remains uncertain. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested Moscow would not accept anything that deviates from the original 28-point plan, which heavily favored Russia and was reportedly shaped during Trump and Putin’s Alaska summit in August.
Still, the Kremlin is not expected to outright reject the revised plan, wary of provoking Trump. Instead, Russia may signal support for negotiations while avoiding firm commitments, according to insiders.
Experts warn the Trump administration to be cautious of any Russian promises.
“We haven’t seen any change in Russian rhetoric … or behavior,” a European official told The Post, pointing to a deadly overnight strike on Kyiv that killed seven people. “I don’t see a possibility that the war ends at this point.”
One major sticking point is Russia’s demand for Ukraine to surrender the entire Donbas region. Witkoff has privately suggested that giving up Donetsk — part of Donbas — may be necessary to secure peace.
According to a transcript of a call with Russian foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, Witkoff told him, “I know what it’s going to take to get a peace deal done: Donetsk and maybe a land swap somewhere,” though he urged the Russian side to keep discussions optimistic.
“I think we’re going to get a deal here,” Witkoff said, pushing for a more hopeful tone in the negotiations.
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