US envoy says Ukraine-Russia talks 'down to one issue'

DAVOS

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with U.S. Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Dec. 2.

Talks to end the war in Ukraine have made "a lot of progress" and are "down to one issue" between Kiev and Moscow, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Thursday ahead of a trip to Russia.

"I think we've got it down to one issue, and we have discussed iterations of that issue, and that means it's solvable. So if both sides want to solve this, we're going to get it solved," Witkoff said at a Ukrainian event on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

President Donald Trump's envoy will travel to the Russian capital later on Thursday with the U.S. leader's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Witkoff said the pair would not stay in the Russian capital overnight and would fly straight to Abu Dhabi, where talks would continue in "military to military" working groups.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in December there were two main sticking points in a draft plan being negotiated with the United States.

Those were the long-term fate of territory captured by Russia and areas still under Kiev's control that Moscow is demanding, and who gets control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, under Russian occupation in southern Ukraine.

The Kremlin said this week that President Vladimir Putin would meet with Witkoff during the visit.

Meanwhile, Trump and Zelensky are due to meet in Davos on Thursday.

Trump repeated on Wednesday his oft-stated belief that Putin and Zelensky were close to a deal.

"I believe they're at a point now where they can come together and get a deal done. And if they don't, they're stupid -- that goes for both of them," he said after delivering a speech to the annual meeting of global elites.

The talks come as Russian strikes this week have left most of Kiev without electricity, with residents of 4,000 buildings without heat in sub-zero temperatures.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praised Trump's efforts to end the war but said Ukraine still needs military help as it continues to come under Russian missile and drone attacks.

Ukraine needs interceptors, he said.

"What we need is to keep our eyes on the ball of Ukraine. Let's not drop that ball. And that means. Yes, great, peace talks. Fantastic. We will do everything to conclude them successfully but that will not happen tomorrow," he said.