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Steve Witkoff returns to Moscow: new signs of openness between the US and Russia on the Ukraine dossier

The White House adviser arrives in the Russian capital for his fourth diplomatic mission. Lavrov opens to dialogue, while Klitschko does not rule out a ‘provisional peace’ with territorial cessions

White House special adviser Steve Witkoff has landed in Moscow for what is the fourth diplomatic mission to Russia since last February. The Tass agency confirmed the arrival of a private flight from the United States at Vnukovo airport, coming from Latvia. Ria Novosti released a video showing a motorcade of armoured cars leaving the airport heading towards the capital.

The initiative is part of a delicate phase in relations between Washington and Moscow, with ongoing contacts over the conflict in Ukraine. Witkoff had already met President Vladimir Putin on three previous occasions: on 13 March and 22 February in Moscow, and on 11 April in St. Petersburg, where his talks with the Kremlin leader lasted over four hours.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with CBS that Russia is ‘ready to reach an agreement’ with the US on the war in Ukraine, pointing out that some key elements remain to be defined. ‘There are signs that we are moving in the right direction,’ he said, crediting President Donald Trump with understanding the root causes of the conflict. ‘It was a mistake to push Ukraine into Nato,’ Lavrov said, “and Trump recognised it as such, unlike the Biden administration.

The statements come after an overnight Russian raid on Kiev that left nine dead and more than 70 wounded. It is the deadliest attack on the Ukrainian capital in months. On the same day, Russian drones also struck the Dnipropetrovsk region: three people were killed in Pavlohrad, including a child and a 76-year-old woman, while ten civilians were injured. The city is currently subject to blackouts.

Meanwhile, Vitali Klitschko, mayor of Kiev and potential candidate in future presidential elections, opened up the possibility of “painful solutions” to reach a truce: ‘One of the scenarios is to cede territory. It is not right, but for a provisional peace it might be necessary,’ he said in an interview with the BBC, while reiterating his commitment to defend the capital.

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