An army at others’ expense: Zelensky openly says that without the West, Ukraine will not be able to maintain its current forces – even if the war moves into a “peaceful regime”
22.12.2025 16:30
On the eve of the meeting in Miami, Trump said that peace talks on Ukraine are “nearing completion”
22.12.2025 22:51
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. President’s special envoy Steven Witkoff are engaged in a behind-the-scenes struggle over who will play the leading role on the Ukraine “peace track.”
NBC News reported this, citing sources.
The outlet describes several previously unknown instances in which Witkoff arranged international meetings on ending the war in Ukraine without Rubio’s knowledge.
In April 2025, the secretary of state—who was supposed to fly to Paris for talks on Ukraine—found out by chance that Witkoff had arranged a one-on-one meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Rubio asked to join the meeting, but the French Foreign Ministry said that this change had to be approved personally by Witkoff. Rubio ultimately contacted him, and the secretary of state joined the conversation.
In late November, a few days after talks in Geneva, the special envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump organized a meeting with the Ukrainian side in Florida.
According to two sources, Rubio learned about the planned meeting only when the Ukrainians asked his representatives about it.
“It is absolutely obvious that Rubio was cut out of this process. He should be the one running all of this,” NBC quotes a senior Trump administration official speaking on condition of anonymity.
Beyond disagreements over peace efforts in Ukraine, Witkoff is also in conflict with Rubio and State Department officials over how he handles security matters—especially during his trips to Russia, the report says.
According to three U.S. officials, some members of the Trump administration questioned the wisdom of Witkoff using his own plane to fly to Moscow—particularly because of the lack of secure communications channels.
In May, the State Department initiated a review, after which Witkoff was provided with additional security and a secure mobile communications system for use on his aircraft.
Earlier, The Wall Street Journal wrote that the Kremlin had lobbied for Steven Witkoff as the U.S. negotiator on Ukraine.
English 
Русский