Will he replace Witkoff and Kushner? New US representative in Russia talks

CIA Director John Ratcliffe is preparing to play a greater role in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

TodayPress TV reports, citing the Financial Times, that the Donald Trump administration is considering reducing the involvement of Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the negotiations. However, Trump has not yet made a final decision, and Witkoff may remain involved in the process alongside Ratcliffe.

Possible changes have been raised amid a deadlock in US diplomatic efforts. Witkoff and Kushner’s recent visits to Moscow and Kyiv are also said to have had little impact on the emergence of new initiatives. At the same time, there are reportedly no significant signs that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to soften his position.

One source said that intermittent involvement in negotiations is not enough to resolve an issue as complex as war, and that the process requires sustained and coordinated diplomatic efforts.

A number of European capitals are reportedly welcoming a greater role for Ratcliffe in the process. This is attributed to growing dissatisfaction with Witkoff’s unconventional approach to the negotiations.

The Ukrainian side, meanwhile, has said it is ready to cooperate regardless of which US representative leads the negotiations. Kyiv believes that Russia is the main problem and considers Witkoff insufficiently forceful in putting pressure on Putin.

Moscow, for its part, partly holds Witkoff responsible for the failure of the summit held in Alaska.

In addition, Jared Kushner is reportedly telling people close to him that he wants to step back from the Ukraine issue and focus his attention on Gaza and the US-Israel-Iran war.

Kubra Musayeva