Trump, Putin call expected this week, as admin edges closer to Russia-Ukraine ceasefire deal: Witkoff

In an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," Witkoff was asked when a deal to end the war in Ukraine could be anticipated. 

"The president uses the timeframe weeks, and I don't disagree with him. I am really hopeful that we're going to see some real progress here," Witkoff said. "Nobody expected progress this fast. This is a highly, very complicated situation, and yet we're bridging the gap between two sides. So, lots of things that remain to be discussed, but I think the two presidents are going to have a really good and positive discussion this week." 

Witkoff said he met with Putin for between three and four hours and had a "positive" and "solution-based" discussion. 

It was the second time Witkoff had met with Putin in the last month. The first sit-down in mid-February resulted in the Russians releasing U.S. prisoner Marc Fogel. 

"President Trump has been involved in every aspect and dimension of these discussions," Witkoff said. "The president is getting updates in real time on everything that's happening, and he's involved in every important decision here. I expect that there will be a call with both presidents this week, and we're also continuing to engage and have conversations with the Ukrainians. We're advising them on everything we're thinking about." 

 Witkoff flew to Moscow last week from Doha, Qatar, where he mediated negotiations between Israel and Hamas on a potential extension of their ceasefire agreement.