CIA Director Ratcliffe may lead US talks with Russia and Ukraine in place of Witkoff, - FT
CIA Director John Ratcliffe is preparing to play a leading role in US negotiations aimed at bringing Russia’s war against Ukraine to an end. President Donald Trump’s administration is considering replacing Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
This is reported by the Financial Times, according to Censor.NET.
The roles of Witkoff and Kushner may be scaled back
According to the publication, the White House is considering scaling back the involvement of US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who have so far led the negotiations with Moscow and Kyiv.
Officials close to Retcliffe have told their European counterparts that he will play a greater role in ‘shuttle diplomacy’ between Russia and Ukraine — an area currently under the remit of Witkoff and Kushner — whilst maintaining contact with intelligence officials from both countries. The White House and the CIA have declined to comment on this possible change, and Trump, according to those briefed on the matter, has not yet made a final decision.
The anticipated shift in relation to Vitkoff has inspired European capitals, which are desperate to see at least some progress after a year and a half of largely fruitless negotiations with Russia, which have stalled due to Putin’s refusal to back down from his tough demands.
Why did the idea of making changes to the team come about?
According to two FT sources involved in behind-the-scenes negotiations to end the war, the US administration considered reshuffling its negotiating team after efforts to reach a peace deal failed in late February. Diplomatic efforts were then put on hold as the Trump administration focused on the war in Iran, which began shortly after the last round of talks on Ukraine.
According to available information, Witkoff, a close friend of Trump’s, is likely to retain his current post as Special Envoy for Peace Missions, which also covers negotiations in the Middle East, and may continue to be involved in Ukraine-related matters alongside Retcliffe.
According to two sources, there is currently a sort of power struggle between Retcliffe and Witkoff over spheres of influence in the negotiations.
Dissatisfaction with Witkoff’s approach
It is noted that Witkoff’s free-wheeling approach, which bypasses traditional diplomatic procedures in favour of direct contacts more reminiscent of a property deal in New York, has caused disappointment in Ukraine, Russia and Kyiv’s Western allies.
According to Ukrainian officials and those familiar with the Kremlin’s position, Ukraine believed that Witkoff had not exerted sufficient pressure on Putin to get him to soften his demands, whilst Russia held him partly responsible for the failure of last year’s summit with Trump in Alaska.
Putin praised Witkoff’s efforts, but Moscow also cautiously hinted at its readiness for a new approach from the US, according to people involved in the behind-the-scenes negotiations. In the spring, the White House also considered appointing a new US ambassador to Moscow, in the hope of opening up another channel of communication with Russia.
Kushner’s stance and Kyiv’s reaction
According to the publication, Kushner told acquaintances that he expected to step back from the Ukraine dossier and would prefer to focus on diplomatic efforts regarding the conflict in Gaza and the US-Israeli war against Iran.
Three senior Ukrainian officials told the FT that Kyiv has a good working relationship with both Ratcliffe, Witkoff and Kushner, and has no preference as to who exactly Trump will appoint to lead the US efforts.
"We have nothing against [Ratcliffe] and nothing against Jared and Steve. The problem lies with the Russians", said one of the Ukrainian officials.
John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow
- CIA Director John Ratcliffe arrived in Moscow on 25 August to hold talks with Russian officials.
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Russian media report that a very large-scale event involving hundreds of people had been scheduled for Putin, but it was postponed a few days ago.
- The US has asked Ukraine to refrain from attacks on Moscow, St Petersburg and northern Russia due to a visit by its officials.
- According to media reports, Retcliffe may have warned Putin of the consequences of a new mobilisation and an attack on NATO.
- It should be noted that CIA Director William Burns last visited Russia in person in November 2021 to warn against military action against Ukraine and to ascertain the reasons behind the build-up of Russian troops near the borders.
