White House drops 'very optimistic' update on Ukraine peace talks: 'Trump is working on...'

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the administration feels “very optimistic,” about the peace deal between Ukraine and Russia

Updated on: Dec 2, 2025, 05:55:57 IST

By HT News Desk

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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt recently said that the Trump administration was “very optimistic” of a deal being reached to end the Russia-Ukraine war, as US envoy Steve Witkoff heads to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds a press briefing at the White House, in Washington, D.C. (Reuters)

"I think the administration feels very optimistic," Leavitt said, adding that the president and his team have been “working very hard” to see the war come to an end, AFP reported, citing the press secretary.

"Just yesterday... they had very good talks with the Ukrainians in Florida, and now of course Special Envoy Witkoff is on his way to Russia," Leavitt was quoted as saying. She was speaking at a press briefing at White House.

Also read: Make Money Not War: Trump’s Real Plan for Peace in Ukraine

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday said that he expected to discuss "key issues" with Donald Trump as the US-led push to end Russia's war on Ukraine accelerated, with the US president's envoy heading to Moscow.

Also read: Zelensky says US peace plan 'looks better' with revisions but work continues | World News

He said Russia had stepped up missile and drone strikes on his country to "break" the will of Ukrainians.

The negotiator from Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, reportedly said that “significant progress” was achieved in two days of talks with US officials on Trump's plan to end the war, adding that more work was needed on "challenging" issues.

In the latest flurry of diplomacy from the USA to halt the conflict, US envoy Steve Witkoff headed to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.

US and Ukrainian negotiators held hours of what both sides called "productive" talks in Florida on Sunday, with Trump declaring on Air Force One "there's a good chance we can make a deal".

(With inputs from AFP)

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