WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) 鈥� President and Russian President are expected to speak this week as the U.S. tries to broker a ceasefire in the , according to Trump special envoy .
It would be the second publicized call between the two leaders since Trump began his second term in January. Trump and Putin spoke in February and agreed to start high-level talks over ending the war in Ukraine.
鈥淚 think the two presidents are going to have a really good and positive discussion this week,鈥� Witkoff said Sunday on CNN鈥檚 鈥淪tate of the Union.鈥�
Witkoff this week met with Putin in Russia for talks aimed at ending the country鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine and said he expects to see a deal soon.
鈥淭he president uses the timeframe weeks and I don鈥檛 disagree with him. I am really hopeful that we are going to see some real progress here,鈥� Witkoff said.
When Witkoff appeared later Sunday on CBS' 鈥淔ace the Nation,鈥� he again spoke about a prospective Putin-Trump call but did not offer specifics on what decisions might be made coming out of the discussion.
Witkoff said they forged a relationship in Trump鈥檚 first term and that he expects the call this week to be 鈥渧ery positive and constructive.鈥�
Trump's first call to Putin came after Witkoff traveled to Russia to bring home an American history teacher the U.S. had deemed wrongfully detained.
One day after the prisoner swap, Trump announced that he spoke to Putin and said their call was 鈥渓engthy and highly productive.鈥�
Witkoff demurred on whether Putin and Trump will decide in the call to move forward with a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire. Ukraine has agreed to the deal. Putin has said he agrees in principle with the proposal but there are details to be worked out.
鈥淧resident Trump is the ultimate decision maker, our decision maker, and President Putin, for the country of Russia, is their decision maker," Witkoff said. "I think it鈥檚 a very positive sign that the two of them will be talking at some point. I think that鈥檚 showing that there鈥檚 positive momentum.鈥�
Witkoff also brushed aside a recent assessment from French President , who said in a statement that Russia 鈥渄oes not seem to be sincerely seeking peace鈥� and that Putin was intensifying the fighting before negotiating.
Witkoff said he was not aware of Macron's comments but said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 unfortunate when people make those sort of assessments鈥� when 鈥渢hey don鈥檛 have necessarily firsthand knowledge.鈥�
鈥淚 know what I heard, the body language I witnessed," Witkoff said of his meeting with Putin. "I saw a constructive effort, over a long period of time to to discuss the specifics of what鈥檚 going on in the field.鈥�
Michelle L. Price, The Associated Press
