Ukraine conflict dwell: Zelensky says ‘place unchanged’ on Crimea after Trump says it should stick with Russia

Witkoff’s elevated standing clear in Moscow assemblyrevealed at 15:31 British Summer season Time 25 April

15:31 BST 25 April

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent

Picture supply, EPA

Steve Witkoff might not be US secretary of state, however he positive is appearing prefer it – and that seems to be precisely what Donald Trump needs.

The true property developer has the president’s belief, in a approach that the Florida politician, former rival and precise Secretary of State Marco Rubio doesn’t.

When the stakes are highest, corresponding to at this time’s negotiations over the Ukraine Warfare in Moscow, it’s Witkoff, not Rubio, who has taken the lead.

The identical is true with the current high-level negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme and multi-party efforts within the Center East to finish the Gaza Warfare. To this point there haven’t been any public indications that Rubio and his State Division staff are sad by Witkoff’s distinguished function.

There haven’t been any stories of dust-ups, as there have been between Rubio and agency-slashing Doge head Elon Musk.

For the primary time maybe since adviser of nationwide safety Henry Kissinger’s elevated standing early in Richard Nixon’s presidency, nonetheless, it’s appears clear that the US secretary of state is just not America’s high diplomat.