Trump resumes effort to end Ukraine war with new peace proposal

After seven months, President Donald Trump resumed the effort to try to end the Ukrainian War. This weekend, the two American negotiators for the conflict will go to Moscow and Kiev to present a new peace proposal.

The Republican was vague when talking about the trip by Steve Witkoff and his own son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who operates his father-in-law's business interests, including in Russia. "We send them to see whether or not they can get something. There might be a good chance they can," he said.

The duo should go to the Russian capital on Saturday (5) and to the Ukrainian capital on Sunday (6). The two had last discussed the issue in February, before Trump attacked Iran and shifted the focus to the war in the Middle East, now in a military and political stalemate.

The trip to Kiev still depended on security arrangements, according to Reuters, which were redoubled after Russia's attack on the headquarters of the Ukrainian Security Service, this Friday (4). Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski proposed a ceasefire to guarantee the visit, but in the end Trump confirmed the trip.

Despite Trump's routine optimistic speech, the actual resumption of peace negotiations is uncertain. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made ambiguous statements in recent days, alternating openness to talk with rejection of discussing with Zelensky.

The Russian is under pressure from the success of the Ukrainian campaign against its energy and logistics system, but it has also doubled the cost imposed on its rivals. Putin believes, according to observers, that it is still possible to declare victory if he completes the conquest of the Donetsk region (east).

Now Zelensky is under fire not only from Russians, but also from a domestic crisis. This has worsened since he fired Mikhailo Fedorov, the popular defense minister turned advocate of holding elections suspended by the war, in July. Furthermore, the shortage of anti-aircraft missiles has taken a heavy toll on civilians.

Added to this is the growing crisis between the Kremlin and the US-led NATO military alliance. In recent weeks, there has been a direct exchange of accusations of undue interference between the Russians and the group's two central governments, the United Kingdom and Germany.

In addition, the alliance has held military exercises designed to demonstrate strength in the Baltic, where local governments warn of the risk of a direct attack that Moscow rules out, and in the Arctic.