The American at the forefront of negotiating an end to the Ukraine war is not a veteran diplomat or the US secretary of state but a billionaire real estate developer, Steve Witkoff.

Much like President Donald Trump -- for years his friend and golfing partner -- Witkoff came to the world stage without traditional experience. Instead, he relies on what the two men believe is a successful instinct in human relations and deal-making.

For Trump, the 68-year-old Witkoff brings the quality the president most cherishes: personal loyalty. But Witkoff has drawn wide criticism from those who believe he is out of his depth and has shown too much deference to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he met in Moscow on Tuesday.

"I liked him. I thought he was straight up with me," Witkoff said in March

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