Trump enlists unofficial mediators for "peace deal" on Ukraine, - CNN
US President Donald Trump is taking an unconventional and often controversial approach to diplomacy in his attempts to reach a "peace deal" to end Russia's war against Ukraine. To this end, he is enlisting the help of unofficial mediators, including businessman Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who have not been confirmed by the Senate for diplomatic posts.
According to Censor.NET, CNN reports on this.
"Trump’s latest efforts on Ukraine, with face-to-face engagements led by Witkoff, Kushner, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, underscore his unconventional – and at times controversial – approach to diplomacy," the article says.
Trump's great negotiator
It is noted that it was Witkoff and Kushner who held a series of meetings as part of the negotiation process with Russia. Both had previously participated in mediating a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which, according to the Trump administration, made them key figures in the negotiations on Ukraine.
Trump calls Witkoff a "great negotiator." Initially, he was supposed to deal exclusively with the Middle East, but his powers were quickly expanded to include the Ukrainian issue.
"His appointment to deal with two of the world’s most complicated crises raised eyebrows in Washington and abroad," CNN writes.
One former senior State Department official noted that Trump "has always been reluctant to hand himself over to bureaucracies" and instead relied on "personal diplomacy."
CNN notes that Witkoff's warm contacts with Moscow are causing concern among US allies, as he held meetings with Russian officials without the participation of professional diplomats. In particular, Witkoff's meeting with Vladimir Putin lasted about five hours instead of the planned 15-20 minutes. Bloomberg also published a transcript of a conversation between Witkoff and Putin's adviser Yury Ushakov, in which the American envoy effectively gave the Kremlin advice on how to behave in negotiations with Trump.
"He’s gotta sell this to Ukraine, he’s gotta sell Ukraine to Russia. That’s what a deal maker does," Trump told reporters last week.
US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who held meetings with Ukrainian and Russian representatives, is also involved in the negotiations. Experts consider him an "important" figure, capable of recognising Russian diplomatic manoeuvres.
One of the key participants
CNN notes that Kushner has once again become one of the main participants in Trump's diplomatic efforts, despite not holding an official position in the administration. He is involved in negotiations with Ukrainian officials and maintains ties with his long-time acquaintance, Russian businessman Kirill Dmitriev, who is under US sanctions.
CNN sources report that Trump sees Kushner as his "right-hand man" on foreign policy issues. This, in their opinion, allows foreign leaders to believe that they are actually dealing directly with the US president.
At the same time, some American diplomats and experts warn that Trump's reliance on a narrow circle of close business associates and allies could be risky — especially in negotiations with Russia, which often uses diplomatic traps.
CNN writes that for the Ukrainian side, Kushner's active participation was a signal that Trump considers reaching an agreement with Moscow to be realistic. At the same time, according to sources, Kyiv does not believe that the agreement is close to completion.
