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The political effort to halt the war in Ukraine may be approaching a "pivotal week," the European Union's foreign policy chief has remarked, as a special envoy for former President Donald Trump gets ready to meet Vladimir Putin following recent discussions with Ukrainian officials.

Envoy Amid Controversial Links with Moscow Set for Talks

Steve Witkoff, the property developer turned envoy, is due to hold talks with Putin in Moscow on Tuesday, the Kremlin stated. Witkoff was in recent reports revealed for coaching Russian diplomats on ways to gain Trump's support.

"This may be a decisive week for diplomacy," stated the EU's foreign policy chief, while stressing it was "obvious that Russia does not want peace."

Ukrainian Leader's European Tour for Backing

Meanwhile, Leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy began a tour to mobilize support from Ukraine's European partners. He held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday to examine "the terms of a fair and lasting peace," the Élysée Palace reported.

The Ukrainian leader is additionally scheduled to make his initial diplomatic trip to Ireland on Tuesday. Concurrently, his defence minister, Denys Shmyhal, was in Brussels on Monday for meetings with his EU colleagues.

Frustration over US-Led Negotiations

The EU official shared concern that Europeans were not present in recent talks held in Florida between the US and Ukraine, which she characterized as "challenging yet fruitful." When asked about having faith in the US to find a favorable resolution for Ukraine, she commented, "Ukraine's representatives are there alone. If they would be together with the Europeans, they would definitely be in a better position."

Writing on social media, Zelenskyy noted the US talks had been "extremely useful" but that there were "a number of challenging issues that still have to be worked through."

Anxiety over American Peace Plan

European leaders were previously concerned by a US framework that circulated last month, which was weighted in Russia's interest. Its alleged terms included ceding Moscow areas in eastern Ukraine it does not yet control, requiring Kyiv to cap the size of its army, and renouncing its ambition to join NATO. While that initial plan has reportedly been scaled back, Witkoff's forthcoming visit to Moscow—his sixth meeting with Putin—is likely to heighten anxiety in Kyiv and throughout European governments.

Witkoff is set to travel to Russia on Monday, alongside Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to advance peace talks. Kushner previously played an key role in negotiations over a Gaza peace deal. The Kremlin did not specify whether Kushner would also be present at the talks with Putin.

Weekend Discussions and Political Pressure

The two close Trump envoys were involved in the Florida discussions between senior Ukrainian and US delegates, which occurred at a exclusive golf club built by Witkoff's company.

After the session, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced optimism for an end to the war. "More work to be done. This is complex," Rubio stated. "There are a lot of complexities, and obviously there's another side involved here... that will have to be a part of the equation."

Amid the diplomatic pressure, President Zelenskyy is facing domestic pressure following the abrupt resignation of his chief of staff and closest adviser, Andriy Yermak. The resignation came in response to a expanding corruption investigation that has become the most serious crisis of Zelenskyy's time in office.