U.S. President Donald Trump is actively pursuing efforts to halt the Russia-Ukraine war. Numerous rounds of talks have been conducted, yet no concrete results have been achieved. Discussing this, Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, highlighted the primary obstacle hindering the peace plan between the two nations.
In an interview, Steve Witkoff stated, 'We are moving heaven and earth to end the Russia-Ukraine war, but the biggest hurdle is the issue of Crimea and the four regions of Ukraine occupied by Russia. Ukraine claims that during the conflict, Russia unlawfully seized these territories.'
Witkoff further elaborated on these four regions, explaining that Russian-speaking communities reside here. A referendum was held, where a significant majority expressed their desire to remain under Russian governance.
The Kremlin facilitated a referendum to merge Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions into Russia; however, this was outrightly rejected by Ukraine and the international community.
Previously, in Saudi Arabia, an agreement between Ukraine and the United States regarding a ceasefire was reached. Subsequently, the U.S. proposed this 30-day ceasefire plan to Russia. Given Putin's reluctance, President Trump issued him a stern warning.
President Trump cautioned Putin, saying if Russia continues its aggression against Ukraine, they would face severe repercussions, including potential economic setbacks. 'We can take steps that would negatively impact their financial situation, which could be catastrophic for Russia. However, my primary goal remains peace.'
Prior to this, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a consensus on a 30-day ceasefire was reached between U.S. and Ukrainian representatives. After reaching this understanding, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that this proposal would now be presented to Russia, who must then show agreement for implementation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also traveled to Saudi Arabia, where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This meeting occurred ahead of peace agreement discussions amongst Ukrainian officials and Saudi-American representatives.
