U.S. President Donald Trump has granted additional authority to Stephen Witkoff in the negotiation process with Russia.
According to The New York Times, the official special envoy of Trump for Ukraine and Russia is retired General Keith Kellogg. However, a few weeks ago, the U.S. president gave Witkoff "the authority to expand his portfolio beyond the Middle East in order to open a negotiation channel with the Russians."
"Trump trusts Witkoff, with whom he has been friends since the 1980s, on a personal level and has told those close to him that he believes the developer has the necessary negotiation skills to help bring an end to the war in Ukraine," the article states.
Stephen Witkoff is a prominent businessman and founder of The Witkoff Group, which specializes in developing premium real estate projects in the U.S. and abroad. In the Trump administration, he serves as a special envoy to the Middle East. His negotiation efforts, particularly in reconciling Israel and Hamas, have been notably successful, earning him the president's trust.
Witkoff also visited Moscow, where he participated in the release of American teacher Mark Vogel. Interestingly, at the beginning of February, a journalist mistakenly reported Witkoff's appointment as Trump’s special representative for Ukraine and Russia, but this statement was later retracted, and the journalist apologized for the inaccuracy.
Source: nytimes.