15 Apr, 04:12

Russia, US have 'possibility to reshape relationship' — US envoy Witkoff

Speaking about the ongoing developments in Ukraine, he noted that both Moscow and Washington were on the brink of the conflict’s resolution

WASHINGTON, April 15. /TASS/. Russia and the United States have a possibility of reshaping their bilateral ties, US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff said in an interview with Fox News TV channel.

"I believe there is a possibility to reshape the Russia-US relationship through some very compelling commercial opportunities that I think will give real stability to the region. Partnerships create stability," he said.

Speaking about the ongoing developments in Ukraine, Witkoff noted that both Moscow and Washington were on the brink of the conflict’s resolution.

"I this that we might be on the verge of something that might be very, very important for the world at large," the US high-ranking official stated.

Last Friday, Putin had a meeting with Witkoff at the Presidential Library in St. Petersburg, which lasted for up to five hours. It was held behind closed doors and ended at about 10:00 p.m. Moscow time (7:00 p.m. GMT). The key topic was the situation in Ukraine.

On February 18, the Russian and US delegations held the first round of talks on resolving the Ukraine conflict in Riyadh. Lavrov, Ushakov, and CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev attended the talks on the Russian side. The US part was represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff. On February 27, Russian and US diplomats and experts discussed issues facing both embassies at a meeting in Istanbul.

On March 24, representatives of Russia and the United States met in Riyadh to discuss the resumption of the Black Sea initiative. The Russian delegation was led by Karasin and Beseda. The US delegation included Andrew Peek, senior director for Europe at the US National Security Council, and Michael Anton, director of Policy Planning Staff at the Department of State.

The Donetsk People's Republic, the Lugansk People's Republic, the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions became part of Russia following referendums held there on September 23-27, 2022. Crimea and Sevastopol became part of the country after a referendum held in March 2014.

Putin said at a meeting with senior Foreign Ministry officials in June 2024 that Moscow was ready to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. His terms included Ukraine recognizing the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic, as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions, as parts of Russia.

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