Trump puts fate of world’s top conflicts in the hands of two men

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US President Donald Trump put his son-in-law Jared Kushner (right) and long-time friend Steve Witkoff (left) in charge of resolving the war in Ukraine.

PHOTO: REUTERS

WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump put his son-in-law Jared Kushner and long-time friend Steve Witkoff in charge of resolving the war in Ukraine and a stand-off with Iran.

On Feb 26, they juggled those momentous issues within hours of each other.

Dispatched to Geneva, Switzerland, Mr Kushner and Mr Witkoff met Iranian officials at the Omani ambassador’s residence in a bid to seal a deal over Tehran’s nuclear programme and avoid what could be a massive strike by US and Israeli forces.

Hours later, they shuttled across town to the Intercontinental Hotel to huddle with Ukrainian officials as the Russian invasion enters its fifth year.

They then shifted to the Four Seasons to meet envoys from both Russia and Ukraine on separate floors, before heading back to the Omani ambassador’s.

They were expected to depart later on Feb 26 to return to the US.

And that doesn’t count their participation less than a week ago in the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace – the body that was created out of the ceasefire they helped reach to halt the fighting between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip.

The pair’s frantic bid to quell conflicts that have the potential to further destabilise Europe and the Middle East were a stark illustration of the tension in Mr Trump’s diplomatic strategy.

His deployment of two envoys to secure peace – and US economic interests – highlights his preference for relying on trusted associates for his most urgent priorities rather than the vast apparatus of US government.

But it also carries immense risks.

No matter their strengths or acumen, the question is whether Mr Kushner and Mr Witkoff can possibly keep up with it all.

“It strains credulity to the breaking point to believe that two envoys – one the president’s best friend and the other the president’s son-in-law – can manage these three negotiations all at the same time,” said Mr Aaron David Miller, a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace senior fellow who’s served as a State Department negotiator and adviser in Republican and Democratic administrations.

“We’re talking about three negotiations, each of which represent a universe of detail, each of which does not exist in a vacuum,” he said. “You could invite the best negotiator in the history of the world and these would still be a heavy lift.”

A White House official said the duo’s record of success speaks for itself, and that they manage their time efficiently while compartmentalising the issues.

Their business backgrounds aid in negotiations with world leaders, and Mr Witkoff is regularly briefed by US intelligence officers while both regularly communicate with the State Department and National Security Council, the official added.

Mr Kushner rose in prominence during Mr Trump’s first administration, when he held a central role in striking the Abraham Accords to normalise regional diplomatic relations with Israel.

In 2024, he ruled out a return if Mr Trump won a second term, saying he wanted to focus on his family and his investment firm, Affinity Partners.

But he’s now deeply involved, and at the Gaza event in Washington last week, Mr Trump said he planned to endow Mr Kushner with the distinction of envoy, in line with Mr Witkoff’s title.

Their participation is clouded by the major business interests they maintain.

Mr Kushner’s Affinity Partners manages billions of dollars of assets, including some from Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund.

Mr Witkoff has a stake in the World Liberty Financial crypto firm, which is engaging in deals in the Middle East, including with funds linked to the Abu Dhabi government.

Mr Witkoff and Mr Kirill Dmitriev, one of Russia’s negotiators who also heads the country’s sovereign wealth fund, have discussed economic post-war agreements including around energy, rare earths and data centers.

The US, Europe and Ukraine are also negotiating a post-war reconstruction deal on infrastructure and investment.

“Kushner and Witkoff are very accomplished business people,” US Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, said at a Council on Foreign Relations event this week.

“I’m sure they’re good negotiators, but they’re not subject to Senate confirmation and they’re not subject to oversight.”

Ukrainian officials welcomed the duo on Feb 26 in a push to set up the next trilateral discussions with Russian officials in early March.

That’s in turn meant to pave the way for a leaders’ meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb 25.

Ms Olga Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s ambassador to the US, told reporters this week that Kyiv was “happy and proud” to work with Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner, noting the importance of their direct line of communication to Mr Trump.

Three or four months ago, “we had disrupted chains of communications at different levels and we had mixed signals from both sides and now this has been structured and well-established,” she said.

Mr Kurt Volker, who was special envoy for Ukraine talks in Mr Trump’s first term, also noted that the pair’s ability to “speak with authority” on what Mr Trump wants and to communicate directly with him is surely positive.

“On the negative side, they don’t have a deep understanding of the issues and the sensitivities,” Mr Volker said. BLOOMBERG