US special envoy to discuss peace in Ukraine with Russian president

United States special envoy Steve Witkoff said that he and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday to discuss peace in Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss town of Davos, he said he would also be holding talks with Ukrainian officials.

"I'm hopeful that all meetings will go well on that subject. We need a peace," he said.

Witkoff claimed the two sides were close to reaching the final "10 per cent" of a deal to end Russia’s nearly 4-year-long war in Ukraine.

Kyiv says it has agreed to most of the peace plan but that key issues, including the thorny question of territory, remain unresolved.

Ukraine is also seeking clarity from its allies on post-war security guarantees, which it sees as crucial to deterring Moscow from launching a new assault.

The talks come as Moscow continues to pound Ukraine's energy facilities in what is the height of the winter.

Washington has in recent months intensified efforts to craft a deal to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II.