Apart from disagreements about peace efforts in Ukraine, Witkoff has been at loggerheads with Rubio and State Department officials about the way he handles security.

According to reporting by Reuters, U.S. intelligence agencies continue to assess that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ambitions extend well beyond a limited settlement in Ukraine. Analysts believe his strategic objectives have remained consistent since the launch of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday it hoped that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration would not make a fatal mistake over Venezuela and said Moscow was concerned about U.S. decisions that threatened international shipping.

President Donald Trump on Sunday claimed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “hasn’t read” a U.S-authored peace proposal aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday demanded that the Trump administration explain why Venezuela’s oil tanker was seized by U.S. forces. “I really hope that the United

President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has been drawn back into the foreign policy fold and is taking a greater role in delicate peace negotiations.

Lawyers for former CIA Director John Brennan want the Justice Department to be prevented from steering an investigation of him and other former government officials to a “favored” judge in Florida who dismissed the classified documents case against President Donald Trump.

The intelligence reports also contradict Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has constantly denied that he is a danger to Europe.

The strikes aim to continue disrupting Russia's army operations and weaken the country's position at the bargaining table.