Overview
- New reporting describes a November episode in which Steve Witkoff left for Geneva ahead of scheduled talks without notifying Marco Rubio, though Rubio arrived and ensured joint meetings with Ukrainian officials.
- Over the weekend, a U.S. delegation met Ukrainian officials in Miami, and Witkoff said the sessions were productive while listing Jared Kushner and White House staffer Josh Gruenbaum in attendance, with no mention of Rubio.
- State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott and Rubio rejected the notion of a rift, describing a close working relationship and coordinated efforts in pursuit of the president’s goals.
- Current and former officials continue to raise security concerns about Witkoff’s communications, prompting the State Department to provide a secure mobile system for his plane, with lingering worries about consistent use after a leaked October call with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
- Witkoff’s early U.S. peace draft has been revised after Rubio’s intervention and consultations with Kyiv, stripping out provisions that alarmed Ukraine and European partners as Russia criticizes the changes and presses for the original plan.