U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner could meet Vladimir Putin if they travel to Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Vesti program on Friday that what proposals the envoys bring with them would be decisive.
Asked about the two envoys’ influence over U.S. President Donald Trump, Lavrov said that if Trump had assigned them such a mission, he assumed that Trump trusted them and considered them effective.
Lavrov said, "We are not refusing to meet with them. They know that President Putin is ready to receive them again if they come. The question is what they will bring."
Possible visits to Moscow and Kyiv
Witkoff and Kushner could also travel to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, in addition to Moscow. The visits could take place within the next 7 to 10 days and aim to revive peace talks on Ukraine.
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have stalled after Washington shifted its focus to the war in Iran. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov also said on Thursday that Moscow was ready to receive the two envoys once their actual plans became clear.
Witkoff and Kushner last traveled to Moscow to meet Putin in late January. Ryabkov said the possibility of a new visit was being considered and that reports about the issue periodically came to the fore.
Lavrov: Russia is not issuing an ultimatum to the U.S.
Asked why Russia had not issued an ultimatum to the United States before starting negotiations, Lavrov replied, "We are not issuing an ultimatum."
The Russian minister also said that Moscow had sent questions to the U.S. Department of State about intelligence data and assessments that the United States was becoming more involved in organizing and carrying out attacks against civilian targets deep inside Russian territory. Lavrov said they were awaiting answers to these questions.
