White House Eyes New Negotiators to Replace Witkoff and Kushner

Reports of a potential reshuffle among U.S. negotiators on the Ukrainian issue may be a tactical move to insulate President Donald Trump from criticism, according to Alexey Podberezkin, Director of the Center for Military-Political Studies at the Almaz-Antey Concern.

The Financial Times recently indicated that White House special envoy Steven Witkoff and businessman Jared Kushner might be replaced in the negotiation process. Podberezkin suggests that changing the personnel allows the administration to shift blame for a lack of diplomatic progress from the president to the executors, thereby preserving Trump's image as an effective leader during an election period.

Podberezkin notes that current diplomatic contacts have yielded few results. He argues that by introducing new faces, the administration can attribute failures to the "shortcomings" of specific officials rather than the president's own strategy.

Regarding potential replacements, the expert suggests that Trump may appoint career diplomats or representatives from the security apparatus, such as CIA Director John Ratcliffe or Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Appointing intelligence or security officials could help Trump balance pressure from radical conservatives demanding a harder line against Moscow.

Despite these potential personnel changes, Podberezkin asserts that the fundamental U.S. strategy remains unchanged. He states that Washington continues to aim for the weakening of Russia using European resources and intends to prolong the conflict.

While Moscow and Washington maintain closed-door contacts, Podberezkin argues that a rotation of personnel will not resolve the underlying contradictions between the two nations. He suggests that an increase in the influence of the security block within the U.S. team further indicates a lack of willingness to reach a compromise.