Washington. US President Donald Trump is betting on his most trusted allies to resolve global tensions. Trump has appointed his son-in-law Jared Kushner and close friend Steve Witkoff as special envoys to resolve these crises. On Thursday, in Geneva, Switzerland, these two ambassadors held several important meetings within a few hours, showing diplomatic activism, which has attracted the attention of the international community.
The period of these envoys in Geneva was very busy. First he held secret talks with Iranian officials at the residence of the Omani ambassador. The primary objective of the meeting was to outline a durable agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program and to avert the threat of possible military attacks by the US and Israel. Shortly thereafter, Kushner and Witkoff held discussions with Ukrainian representatives at the Intercontinental Hotel to explore prospects for peace amid the Russian invasion entering its fifth year. This process of diplomacy did not stop here; He met the envoys of Russia and Ukraine on separate floors at the Four Seasons Hotel to explore a common platform. Before leaving for America late at night, he again visited the residence of the Oman Ambassador.
This activism of Jared Kushner and Witkoff is not limited only to Europe and the Gulf. Recently he participated in the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, which has been formed to monitor the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip. This strategy of Trump makes it clear that he is relying more on his personal and commercially successful allies rather than on the huge and traditional government machinery like the State Department. However, experts are skeptical about this methodology. Former negotiators believe that it is practically impossible to handle complex issues like Ukraine, Iran and Gaza simultaneously, as each of these issues is an ocean of technical and historical nuances.
The White House has rejected these concerns, arguing that Kushner and Witkoff’s business backgrounds help them negotiate effectively with world leaders. But critics are raising questions about his personal conflict of business interests. Jared Kushner’s investment firm manages billions of dollars of Qatari funds, while Witkoff’s crypto firm has ties to Abu Dhabi government funds. Republican senators have also expressed concern that the envoys are not subject to Senate approval or any government oversight. Despite this, Ukraine has welcomed the partnership. Ukraine hopes that through these envoys who have direct contact with Trump, the way will be cleared for direct talks between President Zelensky and Vladimir Putin. Former US envoys believe that direct engagement with Trump is a positive aspect, but the lack of sensitivity and deep understanding of these issues can also put the talks at risk.
