CNN on peace talks: Trump takes unconventional and controversial approach to diplomacy
US President Donald Trump is taking an "unconventional – and at times controversial – approach to diplomacy" in his effort to secure a "peace deal" to end Russia's war in Ukraine.
Source: CNN
Details: CNN noted that Trump had sent his special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner to negotiate with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Neither of them has been confirmed by the Senate for diplomatic roles.
Quote: "Trump's latest efforts on Ukraine, with face-to-face engagements led by Witkoff, Kushner, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, underscore his unconventional – and at times controversial – approach to diplomacy."
Details: CNN noted that during his second term, Trump has turned to a small circle of business partners and trusted allies to try to resolve some of the world's most complex conflicts.
Ultimately, they have succeeded. Witkoff and Kushner were key mediators in brokering the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which, according to administration officials, is why they were placed at the centre of the negotiations over ending Russia's war against Ukraine.
After the Gaza ceasefire, Trump described Witkoff as "a great negotiator".
Witkoff was initially appointed as a special envoy to the Middle East to try to end the war in Gaza, but his role quickly expanded to include efforts to halt Russia's war in Ukraine.
Quote: "His appointment to deal with two of the world's most complicated crises raised eyebrows in Washington and abroad."
Details: However, a former senior State Department official said that Trump "has always been reluctant to hand himself over to bureaucracies" and instead relied on "personal diplomacy."
CNN added that Witkoff's close ties to Moscow have raised concerns among some US allies, particularly given that he previously communicated with senior Russian officials without experienced diplomats present and sometimes even without US protocol staff.
Trump himself said that a meeting between Putin and his special envoy, initially expected to last 15-20 minutes, stretched to five hours.
During a phone call, the transcript of which was released by Bloomberg, Witkoff advised Kremlin leader's aide Yuri Ushakov on how Putin should approach the conversation with Trump, which took place the day before the US president met with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Some European officials said they found the disclosure troubling but not surprising. Trump, meanwhile, dismissed these concerns.
"He's gotta sell this to Ukraine, he's gotta sell Ukraine to Russia. That's what a deal maker does," Trump told reporters last week.
When asked on Monday 1 December about what Trump expects from the upcoming Moscow meeting, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration is "very optimistic".
Kushner, who participated over two weeks in two high-level meetings with Ukrainian officials, has again become a key figure in the administration's diplomatic efforts.
CNN noted that Kushner holds no official position in Trump's administration. He returned to public attention when he, along with Witkoff, helped negotiate the Gaza ceasefire.
Quote: "On the heels of that tenuous truce, he has been quietly working alongside the businessman-turned-envoy on efforts to end the war in Ukraine, multiple sources familiar with his role tell CNN."
Details: White House officials and people close to Kushner say there was no specific moment when it was decided that the president's son-in-law would work on Russia-Ukraine matters. They say it was rather more a natural continuation of the work he had been doing before Trump took office, advising certain officials during the presidential transition on Middle East issues.
According to CNN's sources, Trump sees Kushner as his "closer" on foreign policy. One source close to him described Kushner as a person with good ideas on how to solve complex problems.
Sources close to him also say he possesses a rare quality not found even among the president's top aides: Trump's full trust.
This trust, the sources say, was crucial in signalling to foreign leaders that when Kushner is involved, they are effectively dealing directly with Trump.
However, a former senior State Department official said that relying on such a narrow circle, as Trump does, is risky.
Trump "believes that his emissaries, whoever they might be, if they're seen as being directly connected to him and articulating his viewpoint, then that's what's important," the official told CNN.
Regarding negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, "this is the President turning to people that he knows well, that he trusts, he has a level of confidence, and he believes have been successful in other lines of business, and can certainly be successful on this."
CNN reported that US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has also become a key figure in the renewed ceasefire talks, although he will not travel to Moscow.
Driscoll, a friend of Vice President JD Vance, held a series of meetings with senior Ukrainian officials in Kyiv and Geneva as the administration pressed them to accept a ceasefire deal. He also met with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi.
Leslie Shedd, a former senior adviser to the House Foreign Affairs Committee and currently a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, said Driscoll has "really become a rising star in the administration".
Former diplomat Daniel Fried said that having Driscoll as "somebody who is trusted in Trump World is important".
"You need somebody with Driscoll who understands the details," Fried, a former US ambassador to Poland, said. "The Russians can be expected to throw various curveballs disguised as sweeteners. You need somebody who can detect the stink bombs in the nice wrapping."
Kushner's presence on the Ukraine team seemed to reflect Trump's growing frustration at his inability to quickly end the long-running conflict and his desire to apply the same approach he used in the Gaza deal to Russia and Ukraine.
For the Ukrainians, it was also a signal that Trump believes a deal is entirely possible.
"The Ukrainians think that Trump views Kushner as the closer. They hope that Jared can close the gap, they are working with the administration on this, but they don't think it is on the finish line," a CNN source close to the Ukrainians said.
However, some have questioned Kushner's role in the talks, as the administration is working on a deal with the Russian administration which, even according to Trump himself, does not appear interested in peace.
CNN reported that Witkoff and Kushner had met in Miami in late October with Russian representative Kirill Dmitriev, who is under sanctions, citing a source familiar with the meeting. Dmitriev, like Kushner and Witkoff, is not an official diplomat but has close ties to Putin and is considered a reliable intermediary.
Kushner and Dmitriev, a Harvard Business School graduate, have known each other for many years. According to a CNN source close to the White House, they worked together during Trump's first term.
A 28-point draft "peace plan" emerged a few weeks after this meeting, which European officials and members of Congress called Ukraine's capitulation to Russia.
The White House stated that both Witkoff and Rubio had worked on the draft. According to Rubio, the draft was revised during a meeting in Geneva between senior US and Ukrainian officials at the end of November. A senior US diplomat said on Sunday 30 November that the talks in Florida were continuing to make progress. Rubio led the delegation at both meetings.
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