Steve Witkoff: Trump's Middle East peace broker now at centre of Ukraine talks

Last week, when U.S. President Donald Trump wanted someone to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to initiate potential negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, he didn't dispatch the Secretary of State. He chose someone without a diplomatic background to handle this significant geopolitical challenge.

Trump selected his personal friend, golf buddy, and billionaire real estate developer Steve Witkoff. The President has appointed Witkoff as a special envoy to the Middle East. But last week, the Bronx-born businessman found himself discussing the end of the conflict in Eastern Europe, holding, in Trump's words, "a very long meeting, about three hours, with Putin."

Witkoff traveled to Moscow to broker a prisoner exchange agreement between the U.S. and Russia, seen as a possible signal of thawing relations between the two countries. He was also involved in facilitating the current ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which has been praised by both Trump and his successor, Joe Biden.

Although Witkoff had not yet formally taken office at the time, he flew to Tel Aviv to meet with Netanyahu before the agreement was reached in Qatar. He then met with Biden's envoy, Brett McGurk, in Doha, who later praised their collaboration, calling it a "very close partnership, even a friendship," according to The Washington Post.

Following Trump's call with Putin, Witkoff will now return to the region, specifically Saudi Arabia, to participate in the first face-to-face talks between the U.S. and Russia regarding the war in Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz will also be in attendance. However, the Trump team's bold move has raised concerns among Western allies, who fear a new world order where key players are excluded from discussions. Ukraine and other European nations were not invited to the Saudi meeting.

So, who is Witkoff? He has been dubbed "the man in the room" by U.S. media, as he becomes a central figure in more potentially impactful international talks. After Trump won the presidential election in November, he was among Trump's first picks for the top team. Trump wrote: "Steve will be a tireless advocate for peace and make us all proud."

A White House official told Axios: "The President thinks Steve is one of the greatest dealmakers in the world." Another colleague stated that Witkoff's preferred negotiation tactic is to use charm, but he can also apply pressure. The 67-year-old grew up on Long Island, New York, and was trained as a real estate developer in one of the most competitive markets in the U.S.

A longtime Republican donor, he has known Trump for decades and, like the President, made his fortune in the real estate sector in New York and Florida. At last year's Republican National Convention, Witkoff recalled a conversation with Trump after an assassination attempt, calling the other man his "true and dear friend... through thick and thin."

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham told NBC News that the two are also longtime golfing partners. Graham said: "Steve and I are usually the two guys who play with Trump and others and lose." Another alleged Trump attacker was thwarted by the Secret Service during a joint golfing event in Florida last September. Trump said that he and Witkoff were stuffed into a golf cart as agents moved in on a suspect in the bushes.

Graham also said that Witkoff first mentioned his interest in becoming a special envoy to the Middle East to Trump during a lunch conversation. Graham said: "It shocked me because I didn't know he was interested in the Middle East." Witkoff's duties as special envoy to the Middle East reportedly also include diplomacy with Iran. Insiders told the Financial Times that he was chosen to lead the effort to reach a nuclear agreement with Tehran as part of a broader plan to "stop a war in the region."

Witkoff's deal-making skills were on display during Trump's 2024 campaign. He helped ease tensions between Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whom he defeated in the Republican presidential primaries. Witkoff also reportedly met with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp to defuse the situation after Kemp was scorned by Trump for refusing to support Trump's baseless claims of 2020 election fraud, which Trump lost to Biden.

He currently serves as chairman of the Real Estate Advisory Board at the University of Miami Business School and was appointed to the board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts during Trump's first term.