Intense Diplomatic Push: Trump's Envoy Heads to Moscow for Ukraine Peace Talks as Zelensky Arrives in Dublin for Historic State Visit

The US Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, accompanied by Jared Kushner, son-in-law to former President Donald Trump, is scheduled to travel to the Russian capital, Moscow, today, Tuesday. This diplomatic mission comes as the White House expresses "great optimism" about the possibility of reaching an agreement to end the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Witkoff is slated to meet with Russian President, Vladimir Putin, who maintains a rigid stance regarding ending the conflict, more than three years after Russia commenced its invasion of Ukraine.

Caroline Leavitt, spokesperson for the US Presidency, stated that the administration is "very optimistic," adding that President Donald Trump and his team "have worked very hard for these endeavors and all want this war to end." Leavitt added, "Just yesterday, they had very good talks with the Ukrainians in Florida, and now of course Special Envoy Witkoff is on his way to Russia," where he is scheduled to meet the Russian President.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, expressed his hope to discuss "key issues" he described as "extremely difficult" with his French counterpart, issues related to the proposed Washington plan. This followed an announcement on Monday by Ukrainian negotiator, Rustem Umerov, of "significant progress" on the draft plan, although he noted that "amendments" are still necessary.

Zelensky emphasized that establishing "genuine security" requires ensuring that Russia receives "no reward" for this war.

Facing increasing political and military pressure, Zelensky received a strong dose of support on Monday from French President Emmanuel Macron, who reiterated the mobilization of European efforts to guarantee a "just and lasting peace" for Kyiv. Macron welcomed the American mediation efforts but clarified that "there is no completed plan today in the strict sense of the word," stressing that "this plan can only be completed with the Europeans present around the table. Therefore, we are still in a preparatory phase."

Following their talks, the French President held a phone call with his American counterpart, addressing the "conditions for establishing a strong and lasting peace" and the "central dimension of the security guarantees necessary for Ukraine," according to a statement from the Élysée Palace.

In a parallel development, President Zelensky arrived in Ireland in the evening, where he was received by Prime Minister Micheál Martin. Martin confirmed in a post on "X" (formerly Twitter) Ireland's "unwavering" support for Ukraine.

The two leaders are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting today, Tuesday, as part of the events marking the first official state visit by a Ukrainian President to Ireland. The new President of Ireland is also set to receive Volodymyr Zelensky in Dublin today, Tuesday. The Ukrainian President is scheduled to deliver a speech to parliamentarians in the Leinster House building on Tuesday afternoon, after being introduced by Ceann Comhairle or the Speaker of the Irish Parliament, Verona Murphy.

It is worth noting that the United States had presented a 28-point plan to end the war about 10 days ago. The initial draft was formulated without input from Ukraine's European allies and took into account several Russian demands. The original draft was subsequently amended in collaboration with the Ukrainians and the Europeans, before being re-examined bilaterally with the Ukrainians in Florida. While both sides deemed the talks "fruitful," Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged the need for further work. Trump expressed optimism following the Florida discussions, stating his belief that Russia and Ukraine want to end the conflict, but he stressed that Kyiv is not in a position of strength due to a corruption scandal. Conversely, Macron stated on Monday that the Russian strikes on Ukraine prove that Moscow is not ready to make peace.