Name: The diplomatic drive that aims to end the Ukraine war
Uploaded: 2025-11-28T01:34:13.215Z
Duration: 3 min 29 s
Description: Who are the key mediators involved in talks about peace in Ukraine? The list of participants in the latest negotiations suggests there are four main players — who act publicly and behind the scenes.

Who are the key mediators involved in talks about peace in Ukraine? The list of participants in the latest negotiations suggests there are four main players — who act publicly and behind the scenes.

Kyiv

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine war have brought together high-profile representatives from the United States and Russia, including Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, as well as Vladimir Putin's Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev and aide Yuri Ushakov. The talks have focused on a 28-point peace plan, which has attracted both support and criticism, with some labeling it a blueprint for Ukraine's surrender.

The US envoys, both lacking traditional diplomatic backgrounds, have risen to prominence due to their personal connections to top officials. On the Russian side, Dmitriev and Ushakov bring a mix of international business and diplomatic experience to the negotiations. The ongoing discussions have seen proposals and counter-proposals, with Moscow rejecting suggestions from Ukraine and Europe as unconstructive.

The diplomatic drive that aims to end the Ukraine war

On the US side, Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. On the Russian side, Vladimir Putin's Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov. Steve Whitkoff has been involved in the talks since the start of Trump's second term. This is him meeting the Russian President in St. Petersburg. At first, the US President named Whitkoff his Special Envoy for Middle Eastern Affairs, but later added the title Special Envoy for Peace Missions. A real estate developer and investor, Whitkoff is seen as a close friend of the President. And it's this personal connection, not diplomatic experience which Whitkoff doesn't have, that explains why Trump trusts him with international affairs. Critics accuse Whitkoff of being overly sympathetic to the Kremlin. In a leaked phone call between him and Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov, he allegedly says he has quote the deepest respect for President Putin. He is the rising star of American diplomacy under Trump. 39-year-old Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is making more frequent appearances at the Ukraine peace talks. Here he is in Kyiv, formally presenting the controversial 28-point plan that was leaked to the press almost a week ago. Later, he headed to Geneva for talks with European leaders, and after that to Abu Dhabi for negotiations with Russia. And just like Whitkoff, Driscoll's rise to the front line of international affairs is tied not to diplomatic experience, but to his connections, this time to US Vice President J.D. Vance. Trump nominated him for the post for his quote powerful combination of experiences to serve as a disruptor and change agent. In the press, he is often called Trump's drone guy for his enthusiasm for new battlefield technologies. Now to the Russian side. The star player here is Kirill Dmitriev. He is an unlikely face in Russian diplomacy. A graduate of Harvard and Stanford, Dmitriev built a successful career in investment firms and now heads Russia's state investment fund. This gave him connections both in the US and across the Arab world. Two years ago, it was Kirill Dmitriev who organized a tour of Arab states for Putin at a time when the Russian president was facing international isolation. Dmitriev may also be connected to Putin through the close friendship between his wife and Putin's alleged daughter, Katerina Tikhonova. Leaked phone tabs suggest that Dmitriev may have worked on the 28-point peace plan that was later reworked by EU leaders and Ukraine. Another important player is Yuri Ushakov. He was Russia's ambassador to Washington and has been Vladimir Putin's foreign policy advisor for 12 years. He took part in the very first Russia-US meeting after Trump's re-election in February 2025 and was also present at Whitkoff's meeting with Putin in August. Ushakov welcomed the 28-point peace plan, which critics called a blueprint for Ukraine's surrender. He described Ukraine's and Europe's counter-proposals as unconstructive and not to Moscow's liking.

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