Today marks a turning point in Washington's global diplomacy with a series of key events. US President Donald Trump officially revealed the purpose of his negotiators' key trip to Eastern Europe. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the US leader's son-in-law Jared Kushner are leaving for Moscow with a concrete proposal to end the war in Ukraine. Trump stressed to the media that his team's mission is entirely related to finding a peaceful initiative to stop hostilities, adding that he has already ended several conflicts around the world.
Despite the White House's ambitions, skepticism remains the dominant force in Russia. The authoritative publication Bloomberg reported that the Kremlin's expectations for the negotiators' visit are "extremely low". Sources close to the Russian leadership note that previous talks with Vitkoff and Kushner have not yielded results. Moscow is taking an increasingly tough stance, relying on its temporary military advantage, and is not showing any willingness to make concessions on territorial issues, including full control over the Donetsk region. – a condition that Kiev categorically rejects. After Moscow, the US envoys will also visit Ukraine for talks with Volodymyr Zelensky.
The logistics of the visit have also been subject to extraordinary security measures. The New York Times has revealed details of a confidential request from the US to Russia and Ukraine. Washington has insisted that the two warring countries temporarily cease their mutual strikes during the stay of the negotiators. The White House has asked the Ukrainian side to stop drone attacks on Moscow and Russian energy facilities, and the Kremlin to stop missile attacks on Kiev in order to guarantee the safety of the delegation.
In the background, American diplomacy is already reaping successes on other geopolitical fronts through unconventional methods. Analysis of The Wall Street Journal revealed how the US managed to persuade Baku and Yerevan to a peace agreement through the so-called “chip diplomacy“. According to the information, a decisive incentive for Armenia was the promised access by Washington to ultra-modern microchips from the technology giant Nvidia. They are vital for the large-scale artificial intelligence project in the Firebird data center under construction in the city of Hrazdan, worth $5 billion. dollars.
At the same time, diplomatic failures are increasing for some leaders in Europe. Politico has published a critical article revealing why the upcoming space summit in Paris is shaping up to be the “worst” for French President Emmanuel Macron. Sources familiar with the preparations warn of extremely poor coordination, a lack of a clear schedule and uncertainty about the level of representation of countries. The organizational chaos and criticism, including from the White House, are turning the ambitious event into a serious diplomatic blow for the Elysee Palace.