Will there be direct negotiations between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine?

After the meeting of the presidents of Ukraine and the United States - Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump - in Davos, Switzerland, which took place during the World Economic Forum, information spread that the Ukrainian and Russian leaders might soon meet with US mediation.

Returning from Davos to Washington, Trump stated on board the airplane that there was a period when Putin and Zelensky were not inclined to negotiate. "Now, I think, both want to make a deal. We will find out," noted the American leader.

Have Putin and Zelensky really moved closer to an agreement? Experts believe that in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, not only territorial issues remain unresolved, but also some strategic questions.

At the same time, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced during Senate hearings that the special representative of the US President, Steven Witkoff, and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner will not participate in the next stages of conflict resolution. This indicates that the parties have reached a stage where Putin and Zelensky will be forced to conduct direct negotiations without intermediaries.