President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is set to travel to Moscow on Monday to present a proposed peace plan to Russian President Vladimir Putin—an encounter viewed as a critical test of the Trump administration’s bid to end the war in Ukraine.

Witkoff’s trip to Russia comes just one day after he met with a senior Ukrainian delegation in Florida as part of ongoing efforts to craft a settlement acceptable to both Kyiv and Moscow.
The Kremlin confirmed Monday that Putin is scheduled to meet with Witkoff on Tuesday.

“The president will hold several closed-door meetings today in preparation for the Russian-American contacts,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

Expectations for a breakthrough remain low. Putin has repeatedly signaled he is unwilling to compromise, delivering hardline remarks last week in which he reiterated his demand that Ukrainian forces withdraw from all territories claimed by Russia and dismissed negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “pointless.”
Russian officials have indicated they believe the military situation is shifting in their favor and see little incentive to soften their position.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy is expected in Paris on Monday for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, where the ongoing U.S.-led diplomatic effort is likely to be a central topic. European leaders and Kyiv appear intent on projecting unity as Washington and Moscow take center stage in the latest round of negotiations.

“It will be a very substantive day,” Zelenskyy said Monday morning. “Diplomacy, defense, energy — the priorities are clear.”