Witkoff believes war in Ukraine may be over by year-end or earlier

A peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia may be achieved by the end of the year or even earlier, Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for the Middle East, has said.

Witkoff was answering a Fox News question about whether Ukraine should cede some of the territories that remain under its control to Russia as part of a potential settlement.

He said that, in Trump’s view, only the Ukrainians can make that decision, and that the choice is a "more complicated decision than just giving up land".

"They [the Ukrainians – ed.] have to understand what the security guarantees are, and they are entitled to understand those things. They have to make sure that this can never happen again," Witkoff said.

He added that "we have to address all of those things", and in this regard, he suggested that a solution may be reached by the end of the year or even earlier.

"We have technical teams working on it, and we're hopeful that by the end of this year, and maybe quite a bit sooner, we actually can find the ingredients to get to that peace deal," Witkoff said.

He also asserted, echoing remarks made repeatedly by Trump administration officials, that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin wants to end the war.

Witkoff also announced that he will meet with a Ukrainian delegation in New York this week.

Trump has said Washington will launch an "economic war" against Russia if it avoids negotiations on ending its war against Ukraine.