US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff expressed optimism ahead of Monday’s scheduled phone call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he expects a constructive outcome.
“I believe the president is going to have a successful call with Vladimir Putin,” Witkoff said Sunday on This Week. “They know each other. The president is determined to get something done here… If he can’t do it, then nobody can.”
When asked whether he agreed with Vice President JD Vance’s comment that Russia is demanding “too much” in the context of the Ukraine conflict, Witkoff emphasized the complexity of the talks and the need to bridge differences.
“I think in a negotiation like this, people take positions,” he said. “The art here is to narrow… that, you know, wide berth between the parties. And I think to some extent we’ve done that. To some extent each party is— is, you know, staking out their positions. And I think Monday will go a long way towards identifying where we are and how we complete this negotiation.”
Zelenskyy seeks clarity from US and Europe
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that he and the leaders of Britain, France, and Poland plan to speak with President Trump ahead of his conversation with Putin. Merz made this statement while attending Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural mass at the Vatican, where he also met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and held extensive talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“I spoke with Marco Rubio, including about tomorrow’s call. We agreed to consult again with the four European leaders and the US President in preparation for the conversation with Putin,” Merz told reporters.
Zelenskyy also met with Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio on the sidelines of the papal inauguration — their first meeting since a tense White House exchange in February over Ukraine’s war strategy. The 40-minute Rome meeting precedes Trump’s calls with Putin and, subsequently, with Zelenskyy and NATO allies.
These diplomatic efforts follow the first direct Ukraine-Russia talks in over three years, recently held in Istanbul. While both sides agreed on a prisoner exchange, Russia rejected Ukraine’s proposed 30-day ceasefire and maintained territorial demands that Kyiv dismissed as unserious.
Zelenskyy characterized his Rome discussions as “productive,” noting they addressed the Istanbul negotiations where Russia’s representatives reportedly lacked decision-making authority. He reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to genuine diplomacy and emphasized the need for a complete ceasefire.
Later, Zelenskyy met with Pope Leo XIV following the pontiff’s inauguration. He thanked the Holy See for offering to host future Ukraine-Russia talks and reiterated Kyiv’s readiness for “real results.” Zelenskyy described the Pope as a symbol of hope who could help end the war.
