A high-stakes diplomatic mission turned into a heated television showdown on Sunday, as CNN’s Jake Tapper confronted Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, over his three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the ongoing efforts to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Appearing on State of the Union, Witkoff defended his visit to Moscow on Friday, a meeting that reportedly came after Putin left him waiting for eight hours—a power move reminiscent of the Russian leader’s past diplomatic tactics. Trump himself vehemently denied the delay in a Truth Social post on Saturday, slamming the report as “fake news.”

Despite the tense optics surrounding the meeting, Witkoff characterized the discussions as “positive” and “solution-based”, claiming that progress had been made.

Tapper, however, was quick to challenge that optimism, pressing Witkoff on reports that Russia’s ceasefire conditions included “international recognition” of Ukrainian territory that Moscow has seized.

“Jake, I would not call your description entirely accurate,” Witkoff responded, pushing back on the characterization of Russia’s demands. He acknowledged that the two sides had started the negotiation “miles apart” but insisted that “they are today a lot closer.”

One of the most striking moments of the interview came when Tapper asked whether Putin himself was the primary obstacle to peace. The CNN host cited Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who recently stated that if Russia refuses to agree to the terms Ukraine has already accepted, then “we’ll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here.”

“So as Secretary Rubio puts it, is it now clear that Putin is the impediment to peace right now?” Tapper pressed.

Witkoff sidestepped the question, refusing to directly blame the Russian leader. Instead, he emphasized that Putin, Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky all “want to see an end to this” and that negotiations remain ongoing.

“I don’t want to put words in President Putin’s mouth,” Witkoff said carefully. “But I think he’s indicated that he accepts the philosophy of President Trump. President Trump wants to see an end to this. I think President Putin wants to see an end to this. I think President Zelensky wants to see an end to this … there are all details that have to get worked out at the table.”

When asked for a timeline on a potential agreement, Witkoff echoed Trump’s belief that progress could be seen in “weeks.”

Witkoff also underscored that Trump is deeply involved in the talks, revealing that the former president is likely to speak with Putin by phone later this week.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)