**US Envoy Says Ukraine and Russia Peace Deal is Close**
The United States may soon have a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, according to Steve Vitkoff, the US envoy to the Middle East. He said that any deal would require both sides to make concessions.
Vitkoff said: “You will see concessions from both sides. And this is what the president does best. He brings people together. He makes them understand that the path to peace is through concessions and reaching a consensus.”
**Background to the Peace Talks**
The US envoy was referring to negotiations held in 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey. These talks aimed to find a way to end the war between Ukraine and Russia. The proposed terms of a peace agreement included Ukraine becoming neutral, limiting its military forces, and abandoning NATO aspirations.
However, these talks broke down in May 2022 without a final agreement. The US President Donald Trump has now announced new ceasefire negotiations with Russian delegations aimed at stopping Russia’s war against Ukraine.
**Objectives of the Peace Talks**
The main objectives of the peace talks are to:
* Restore embassy staff in Washington and Moscow
* Create a high-level team to facilitate Ukraine peace talks
* Explore ways to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries