Russia’s War in Ukraine

Understanding the conflict four years on.

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff courting Russian President Vladimir Putin, the United Kingdom’s approval of an offshore natural gas project, and psychological warfare on the Korean Peninsula.

Witkoff Courts Putin in St. Petersburg

Less than 24 hours after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff held high-stakes talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Norway, U.S. President Donald Trump’s go-to negotiator flew to Russia for an ambitious meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. The focus: restarting Ukraine peace talks.

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff courting Russian President Vladimir Putin, the United Kingdom’s approval of an offshore natural gas project, and psychological warfare on the Korean Peninsula.

Witkoff Courts Putin in St. Petersburg

Less than 24 hours after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff held high-stakes talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Norway, U.S. President Donald Trump’s go-to negotiator flew to Russia for an ambitious meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. The focus: restarting Ukraine peace talks.

In recent weeks, Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with the continuation of the war in Ukraine, especially as high fuel prices at home risk undermining the Republican Party’s performance in next month’s midterm elections. Trump’s ire, however, has primarily centered on Kyiv—not Moscow.

Last week, Ukraine accused the Trump administration of abruptly limiting its access to military-grade Starlink satellite services and of threatening to withhold information crucial to its defense. Trump had repeatedly urged Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries, even as Moscow continued to target Kyiv’s power grid.

Meanwhile, the White House suspended U.S. sanctions on Russian diesel exports last week and floated a multibillion-dollar deal with Russia’s Lukoil.

Even........

© Foreign Policy