US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are scheduled to talk in the coming days to discuss a possible ceasefire in Ukraine’s three-year conflict.
US ambassador Steve Witkoff, who spoke with Putin in Moscow on Thursday, told CNN that “there will be a call with both presidents this week”.
“We’re also continuing to engage and have conversations with the Ukrainians,” he finished. “We’re advising them on everything we’re thinking about.”
Last Monday, the United States and Ukraine agreed to propose a 30-day ceasefire to Russia. While Putin stated that he supports a cease-fire, he also laid out a set of stringent requirements for attaining peace.
Witkoff stated in an interview on Sunday that “I think the two presidents are going to have a really good and positive discussion this week.”
He also announced that US officials would meet with counterparts from Ukraine and Russia in the next week.
Witkoff said that he expected a settlement to be struck “in [the] coming weeks”.
“I am really hopeful we are going to see some progress here,” he said.
During his presidential campaign, Trump regularly pledged to stop the war, which began with Russia’s full-fledged invasion of its neighbour in 2022, on “day one” of his new government.
Less than a month after his inauguration, Trump reportedly spoke with Putin for 90 minutes about immediately beginning discussions to end the war.
Witkoff declined to comment on how Russian-occupied land in Ukraine may be dealt with in a hypothetical settlement. Russia currently controls around a sixth of Ukraine.
The envoy stated that Trump was actively involved in the diplomatic back-and-forth.
As an example, Witkoff stated that “within five to 10 minutes” of his meeting with Putin concluding on Thursday, he had returned to the US embassy to brief Trump, as well as Vice President JD Vance, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
“So the president is getting updates in real time on everything that’s happening, and he’s involved in every important decision here,” he said.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Is Anthony Odiong still a priest after life in prison sentence over rape?")