Trump advisers push for tougher stance on Russia, but he is siding with special envoy Witkoff, WSJ says

Several advisers to US President Donald Trump are urging him to treat Moscow's statements about its desire for peace with Ukraine cautiously, emphasising that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has yet to demonstrate a genuine intention to end the fighting.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, citing informed sources, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The sources say that the group includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg.

It was reported that the group is advising a more cautious approach to negotiations with Putin and a tougher stance regarding Moscow's demands for territorial concessions from Kyiv.

However, Trump is currently leaning more towards the opinion of another US special representative – Steve Witkoff – who believes Putin seeks peace, following two meetings with him in Moscow, according to officials.

The WSJ wrote that even those Trump advisers advocating for a tougher approach towards Moscow support his intention to stop the war. However, Russia’s missile strike on Sunday 13 April, which killed 35 people and injured another 100 in the city of Sumy, has only deepened divisions within Trump’s team.

The sources claim that during a White House discussion on whether the US should tighten sanctions against Russia to force it to negotiate, Rubio and Kellogg advised Trump to be wary of Putin’s diplomatic intentions.

It is worth noting that in recent weeks, Witkoff has made high-profile statements regarding occupied territories in Ukraine, calling them "the largest issue" in resolving the Russo-Ukrainian war.

In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Witkoff said that "the largest issue in that conflict are these so-called four regions". In his view, these include: Donbas, Crimea, Luhansk and two others.

Following such statements, Reuters reported that some of the actions and comments made by Witkoff regarding a settlement of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine have drawn criticism within the White House and among Republicans.

Background:

• On 11 April, Witkoff met with Putin in Saint Petersburg, where they discussed a potential path towards resolving the conflict in Ukraine. According to Russian propaganda media, the conversation lasted four and a half hours.
• Commenting on the visit, Witkoff stated that he and Putin had discussed steps that could bring an end to the war in Ukraine. He also said that the key to a comprehensive agreement revolves around "five territories". "This peace deal is about these so-called five territories, but there’s so much more to it," Witkoff said.

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