- President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is going to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin the week of March 9. Bloomberg News was the first to report the travel plans, which were confirmed by Reuters.
- The meeting is expected to focus on the potential ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv.
- This would be Witkoff’s second meeting in Moscow after he traveled there to secure the release of Pennsylvania schoolteacher Marc Fogel last month, who, like WNBA star Britney Griner, was being detained for alleged marijuana possession.
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President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, is going to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin the week of March 9.
Bloomberg News was the first to report the travel plans, which were confirmed by Reuters.
The meeting is expected to focus on the potential ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv.
This would be Witkoff’s second meeting in Moscow after he traveled there to secure the release of Pennsylvania schoolteacher Marc Fogel in February 2024. Fogel, like WNBA star Brittney Griner, was being detained for alleged marijuana possession.
What are Witkoff’s travel plans?
Witkoff left Miami on Monday, March 10, for Abu Dhabi, where he’s expected to meet with United Arab Emirates President Mohammed Bin Zayed.
Afterwards, Witkoff will reportedly join Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Doha for talks over a possible Gaza hostage exchange and ceasefire agreement before going to meet with the prime minister of Qatar.
Eventually, Witkoff is slated to arrive in Moscow by the end of the week. Those plans may change based on how negotiations go in Qatar, as well as Putin’s schedule.
What is the bigger picture?
Witkoff’s potential meeting with Putin comes as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio led a delegation to Saudi Arabia for talks with Ukrainian officials about the war. U.S. officials tell Reuters that the United States is trying to determine if Kyiv is willing to make material concessions to Moscow to end the conflict.
