Overview

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused US envoy Steve Witkoff of advancing Russian narratives in ceasefire negotiations with Moscow.
• Zelenskyy rejected Witkoff's authority to discuss Ukraine's territories, emphasizing that decisions about the regions belong solely to Ukrainians, both present and future.
• Witkoff stated in a recent Fox News interview that a peace deal hinges on resolving the status of five occupied regions: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Crimea.
• This follows Witkoff’s third meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 11, part of President Trump’s efforts to broker a ceasefire in the ongoing war.
• Ukraine has firmly opposed recognizing Russia's claims over these regions, with Zelenskyy reiterating his country's stance against territorial concessions.