Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have emerged as central figures in the Trump administration's foreign policy calculations at a moment when critical diplomatic vacancies have left American representation on the ground undermanned.
Both the U.S. ambassador posts to Moscow and Kyiv are currently unfilled, leaving key relationships without permanent senior diplomatic leadership at a time of heightened global tension. Yet the two well-connected Trump insiders are directing their energy toward Iran rather than rushing to fill those positions.
Witkoff, who holds influence in the administration's foreign policy orbit, and Kushner, the former senior advisor with deep ties to Middle Eastern affairs, appear to be prioritizing the Iranian challenge as a primary concern. The shift in focus reflects broader strategic calculations within the Trump circle about where American leverage and attention should be concentrated.
The decision to leave Moscow and Kyiv posts vacant while concentrating on Iran signals the administration's current priorities, even as the war in Ukraine continues to escalate. The simultaneous absence of ambassadors in both the Russian capital and the Ukrainian capital raises questions about diplomatic capability in managing one of the world's most pressing conflicts.
Neither Witkoff nor Kushner currently hold formal State Department positions, yet their proximity to Trump's decision-making apparatus has given them outsized influence over foreign policy direction. The arrangement underscores how power operates within the Trump sphere, where informal influence often supersedes traditional bureaucratic channels.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Leaving Moscow and Kyiv without ambassadors while pivoting to Iran is a telling gamble on what really matters to Trump right now."
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