White House envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow next week, the Kremlin said, amid accelerating efforts to cement a US-backed peace proposal that many Ukrainians -- and European leaders -- are wary of.

The Trump plan for Gaza leans to Israeli terms. It makes disarming Hamas a central condition for any progress in rebuilding the devastated territory. It also lays out no strict timetable for a full Israeli troop withdrawal, making it conditional on deployment of an international security force.

A report revealed the U.S. diplomat to be advising Russia on how to get through to Trump, raising questions about his priorities and foreign business ties.

Witkoff played a pivotal role in shaping the White House’s current Ukraine peace proposal, according to a report.

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff gave a senior Kremlin official tips on how to pitch a Ukraine peace deal to President Donald Trump, according to a report.

CORRECTION: The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Porfirije, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Patriarch Kirill in Moscow in April. An earlier version of this story

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, the president downplayed a report that his special envoy advised Russian officials on a peace plan.

President Donald Trump brushed off concerns about his special envoy Steve Witkoff’s engagements with the Kremlin after a new phone call transcript provided rare insight into how the president’s top negotiator advised his Russian counterpart.