The U.S. may change its negotiating team on Ukraine
The White House is considering possible changes to the team leading negotiations regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine. According to the Financial Times, CIA Director John Ratcliffe may take on a more active role, while the involvement of Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may be scaled back. At the same time, Donald Trump has not yet made a final decision, and the White House has called the FT report false.
The Financial Times reports that the U.S. administration is discussing a possible change in its approach to negotiations with Russia and Ukraine. According to the publication’s sources, representatives of CIA Director John Ratcliffe have informed European partners that he may play a significantly more active role in diplomatic contacts between Moscow and Kyiv.
Currently, this work is largely coordinated by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Ratcliffe, meanwhile, is expected to continue contacts with representatives of the Russian and Ukrainian intelligence services. The idea is that his involvement could be part of a new U.S. approach to the negotiations, which have recently reached a virtual impasse. However, according to the FT, Trump has not made a final decision on the changes.
The White House Denies the Changes
Following the FT’s report, the White House stated that the situation described by the publication does not correspond to reality. The Trump administration assured that Witkoff and Kushner continue to work toward reaching a peace agreement, and that the U.S. president trusts them to conduct negotiations on behalf of the United States.
Therefore, at this point, we are dealing specifically with information that the Financial Times obtained from its sources, rather than an officially announced decision by Washington. This is an important clarification, as the changes to the U.S. negotiating team have not yet been confirmed by the White House.
Why is Washington Discussing Changes?
According to the FT’s sources, the Trump administration began considering a reshuffle of the negotiating team after U.S. efforts to secure a peace agreement failed to yield the expected results. The negotiation process between Russia and Ukraine, mediated by the U.S., has been ongoing for quite some time, but Moscow shows no willingness to back down from its key demands.
Recent contacts have also failed to yield a significant breakthrough. In early September, Witkoff and Kushner visited Moscow, where they met with Vladimir Putin, and then traveled to Kyiv for talks with the Ukrainian side. The FT notes that European capitals have welcomed the prospect of greater involvement by Retcliffe. They expect Washington to take a more systematic approach to the negotiations.
One of the publication’s sources put the problem this way: “This problem cannot be solved by intervening from time to time. It is a very complex conflict. It requires properly organized, ongoing work on every issue. That is not happening right now.”
There are disagreements between Retcliffe and Witkoff
According to FT sources, disagreements have reportedly arisen between Ratcliffe and Witkoff over who should lead specific areas of the negotiations. At the same time, Witkoff is likely to retain her position as U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Negotiations. This role encompasses not only Ukraine but also diplomatic efforts in the Middle East.
Therefore, even if Retcliffe’s role is expanded, Witkoff may remain involved in the negotiations on Ukraine. According to the FT, his eighth visit to Russia was partly motivated by his desire to retain a leading role in the Ukraine track.
Kushner may step back from the Ukraine track
Another possible change concerns Jared Kushner. According to the publication’s sources, he has told friends that he plans to gradually step back from negotiations regarding Ukraine. Instead, Kushner wants to focus on diplomatic efforts related to the war in Gaza and the conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran.
However, this does not mean that a decision has already been officially made. Kushner, along with Witkoff, has participated in negotiations with the Russian and Ukrainian sides in recent days. Following the meetings, U.S. representatives stated that the diplomatic process could continue, but the parties did not achieve a concrete breakthrough.
Retcliffe recently made a secret trip to Moscow
The FT draws particular attention to Retcliffe’s unannounced visit to Moscow in late August. According to the publication’s sources, the CIA director met with high-ranking representatives of Russian intelligence. Topics included Russia’s war against Ukraine, the war with Iran, and Russia’s so-called hybrid threats to Europe.
According to the FT’s sources, Vladimir Putin had initially planned a face-to-face meeting with Retcliffe. However, according to this account, the Russian president called it off after the CIA director gave Russian officials a pessimistic assessment of the war’s progress. At the same time, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that a meeting between Putin and Retcliffe had ever been planned. According to him, Trump and Putin also did not discuss possible changes to the composition of the U.S. negotiating team during their phone call.
Ukraine is not pushing for a specific negotiator
According to the FT, the Ukrainian side is not insisting on who exactly should lead the U.S. diplomatic efforts. Three high-ranking Ukrainian officials told the publication that Kyiv has a normal working relationship with Retcliffe, Witkoff, and Kushner. In other words, what matters most to Ukraine is not the name of the U.S. negotiator, but the outcome of the diplomatic process and Russia’s willingness to take concrete steps toward ending the war.
So far, no official personnel changes have been announced in Trump’s team. Therefore, reports of a possible expansion of Retcliffe’s role and a reduction in the involvement of Witkoff and Kushner remain a topic of discussion, according to the FT.
Zelenskyy told Witkoff that he would not cede any territory to Russia under any circumstances.
Following the meeting in Kyiv, Witkoff announced peace talks in a Ukraine-Europe-U.S. format.
In addition to issues regarding the cessation of hostilities and security guarantees, the parties discussed the country’s post-war recovery and the mobilization of resources for reconstruction, as well as economic guarantees designed to prevent the war from breaking out again.
Alona Shevtsova will moderate a panel on innovations in the payments sector at MEBIS 2026 in Dubai.
