Key negotiators in the talks to end the war in Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified efforts to broker a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine, with officials from the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia engaged in a flurry of diplomatic meetings across the globe in recent weeks.

The negotiations involve an unusual cast of negotiators operating through both official and unofficial channels, reflecting Trump’s preference for personal relationships and business-style diplomacy in resolving international conflicts.

At the forefront of these negotiations is Steve Witkoff, a 68-year-old real estate magnate who has emerged as a key White House foreign policy fixer despite lacking formal diplomatic credentials or Senate confirmation. Witkoff, a longtime friend and golf partner of Trump, has made multiple trips to Moscow in recent months to advance peace talks. His unconventional diplomatic role highlights Trump’s tendency to rely on trusted associates outside traditional government structures for sensitive international negotiations.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been leading official talks with Ukrainian representatives. Rubio recently headed the U.S. delegation in Geneva, where amendments were introduced to a U.S.-Russia brokered peace plan that analysts say heavily favored Russian interests. His involvement brings formal diplomatic weight to a process that has often operated through back channels.

Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and former White House adviser, has leveraged his experience from the previous Trump administration to participate in the Ukraine negotiations. After helping broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas earlier this year, Kushner has met with Ukrainian officials in Florida and Russian representatives in Moscow, further blurring the lines between personal and official diplomacy.

In an unexpected development, U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has emerged as a critical intermediary in the peace process. The 38-year-old Iraq War veteran and friend of Vice President JD Vance personally presented Trump’s peace plan to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv before meeting with Russian officials in the United Arab Emirates to discuss the proposals.

The Ukrainian side has recently undergone changes in its negotiating team. Rustem Umerov was appointed to lead Ukraine’s delegation in peace talks following the resignation of Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andrii Yermak. Umerov, who served as defense minister from October 2023 until July 2025 before being appointed to lead Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, brings substantial experience, having been involved in key negotiations since the full-scale war began.

On the Russian side, Yuri Ushakov, a longtime diplomat who has served as a presidential aide since 2012 and was Russia’s ambassador to the United States from 1998-2008, has been prominently involved in talks with the U.S. Reports suggest Witkoff coached Ushakov on how Russian President Vladimir Putin should pitch the peace plan to Trump, indicating the close coordination between American negotiators and their Russian counterparts.

Another key Russian player is Kirill Dmitriev, the 50-year-old head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund. Despite lacking diplomatic credentials and being on the U.S. sanctions list, Dmitriev has increasingly served as a back-channel communicator between the Kremlin and Trump allies.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who has held his position since 2004, rounds out the Russian negotiating team. Known for his firm defense of Russian policy and regarded as a formidable interlocutor, Lavrov attended the first meeting with a U.S. delegation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in February and has held phone conversations with Rubio.

The unorthodox diplomatic approach reflects Trump’s preference for personal relationships over traditional diplomatic channels. Critics worry this approach may sideline Ukrainian interests, while supporters argue it could break the diplomatic stalemate that has prolonged the conflict. The outcome of these negotiations could significantly reshape European security architecture and U.S.-Russia relations for years to come.