Posted originally on CTH on December 3, 2025 | Sundance 

President Trump was asked about the Witkoff and Kusher trip to Moscow, Russia as negotiations for an end to the conflict are ongoing.  President Trump noted he had not yet heard from the emissary duo, as he is spending time with media, answering questions and being the most transparent administration in history [Video Here].

In the contextual background, Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov and Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriev spent time walking through Moscow center city with Trump Emissaries Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.  This is before the meeting with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin.

This move is typical Putin.  It’s not a negative per se’, but rather an emphatic narrative contrast intended to draw attention to a Russian/American dichotomy.

This optical presentation was likely coordinated via Yury Ushakov and Steve Witkoff.  The optical message is psychological targeting; the city of Moscow -structural order, cleanliness, visual and representative Christmas holiday festival spirit- contrast and compared to the city of Washington DC, chaos, conflict and lack of social cohesion.

Traditional American intelligence review would be angered by what would be deemed psy-op manipulation; however, the reality of the situation doesn’t diminish just because the intent is to emphasize the contrast.

In reality, the Russian system of social cohesion generates these visible outcomes, and yes, there is an authoritarian mechanism that mandates the mechanics of what is inherently visible.  The debate, which never takes place, regards the overall outcome, the value in the experience as contrast against the two systems.

Yes, despite our unwillingness to admit benefit, there is value in government setting social rules, enforcing cultural compliance standards, demanding self-respect, patriotism and the lack of visible vulgarity.  Yes, if govt enforces a rules-based order, it will be naturally oppressive to those who are non-compliant – perhaps to those who prefer vulgarity. However, it is not as simple as dismissing the value when contrast against the outcomes.

THE UNSPOKEN MESSAGE: President Trump has to put national guard troops on the ground in Washington DC to retain lawful order, to control the thugs and enhance the safety and security (domestic tranquility) of the region.  President Putin does not need to put the Russian army on the streets to control the thugs or generate the same outcome; Putin’s effort has a cultural outcome.

As the ‘West’ continues to destroy itself (Russian perspective), its culture, its moral decency – and by extension its identity – the position of Russia is to keep out these vulgar influences that devalue the national sense of self-respect.

From the position of the Russian standard, social indecency is not going to be permitted, and if it takes oppressive govt control mechanisms to enforce national cultural standards, if it takes govt to mandate self-discipline, then so be it.

That’s the larger message from Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin, and it is a cold, unwavering and deliberate approach that appears hard, callous and dictatorial to the ‘West’, because in many ways, it is exactly that.

Taking part in the meeting on the Russian side were Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, and Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriev.

On the American side, the meeting was attended by Special Envoy of the President of the United States of America Steve Witkoff ,together with entrepreneur, investor, and founder of Affinity Partners Jared Kushner.

Ushakov is to Witkoff as Dmitriev is to Kushner.  However, I will say very directly -and this might not please a lot of Trump critics- that Jared Kushner is the key influence agent in this negotiation.

Despite what people might criticize him for, Mr. Jared Kushner has a remarkable level of self-discipline and an emotionless face that would immediately earn the respect of any Russian opposition.  When you know how Russians think about strength, you realize the mental component is their focus.  When the Russian delegation looks upon Kushner, they see self-control, strength, limited words and ultimately that translates to power.

If there is a hard 10% needed to get to the finish line of negotiations, it will be Kushner who penetrates that difficult part.  If Ukraine is to achieve an outcome that leaves them with self-respect in the final product, it will be Jared Kushner who delivers that for them.

Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin is happy, because he is in a strong position having just won control of the city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine (Donbas region), saying the now-secured area is a key base for Moscow’s ongoing military advance.  Ukrainian resistance is falling, as the stronghold for the best units of the Ukraine military has now collapsed.