U.S. special envoySteve Witkoffwas due to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday, taking to the Kremlin an embryonicpeace planthat Washington hopes can bring about an end to thenearly four-year warin Ukraine.
Coinciding with Witkoff's trip, Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyywent to Ireland, continuing his visits to European countries that have helped sustain his country's fight against Russia's invasion.
After months of frustration in his efforts to stop the fighting, U.S. President Donald Trump is deploying officials to get traction for his peace proposals. So far, the talks have followed parallel lines, with U.S. Secretary of StateMarco Rubiositting down with Ukrainian officials, and now Witkoff heading to Moscow.
Though this week's consultations could move the process forward, few details have become public. It remains unclear how envoys are going to bridge the gap between the two sides on such basic differences aswho keeps what territory. European officials say the road to peace will be long.
European leaders, who fear Russia's future territorial ambitions and are trying to figure out how they canfund Ukraine's fightbeyond this year, are trying to make their voices heard after being largely sidelined by Washington. They are also working on future security guarantees for Ukraine.
French PresidentEmmanuel Macronsaid Monday that he and Zelenskyy, who was on a trip to Paris, spoke by phone with Witkoff. They also spoke to leaders of eight other European countries as well as topEuropean Unionofficials and NATO Secretary-GeneralMark Rutte.
Macron said that the coming days will see "crucial discussions" between U.S. officials and Western partners. Zelenskyy's visit to Paris followed Sunday's meeting between Ukrainian and U.S. officials, which Rubio described as productive.
Diplomats face a hard time trying to bridge Russian and Ukrainian differences and persuading them to strike compromises. The key obstacles — over whether Kyiv should cede land to Moscow and how to ensure Ukraine's future security — appear unresolved.
Zelenskyy is under severe pressure in one of the darkest periods of the war for his country. As well as managing diplomatic pressure, he must find money to keep Ukraine afloat, addressa corruption scandalthat has reached the top echelons of his government, and keep Russia at bay on the battlefield.
The Kremlin late Monday claimed that Russian forces have captured the key Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region. Zelenskyy, however, said in Paris that fighting was still ongoing in Pokrovsk on Monday.
Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine athttps://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine