Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to meet with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Tuesday. This meeting follows an optimistic statement from the White House regarding ongoing efforts to reach a deal aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine. Jared Kushner, former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, who has been involved in diplomatic discussions, is also expected to participate.
The discussions come after two days of negotiations in Florida, attended by Ukrainian and U.S. officials that included Witkoff and Kushner. The focus of these talks was to refine a U.S.-backed peace plan perceived to be more favorable toward Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the negotiations as “constructive” but indicated that there are still significant challenges to resolve.
During a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Zelensky emphasized Kyiv’s priorities in peace negotiations, notably maintaining Ukraine’s sovereignty and securing robust security guarantees. He categorized the territorial issue as the most problematic aspect of the peace discussions, as the Kremlin is pressing for Ukraine to relinquish control of eastern territories, which Ukraine has firmly stated it cannot accept.
Witkoff also engaged with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Zelensky, and Ukraine’s new chief negotiator Rustem Umerov, while several European leaders participated virtually in the meeting with Zelensky and Macron. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that the draft peace deal had been significantly refined, expressing optimism about the potential for an end to the conflict.
Putin had mentioned the receipt of a draft peace plan from the U.S., suggesting it could serve as a foundation for negotiations. However, uncertainty persists, with Kremlin officials hinting at reservations about the proposal, especially following changes advocated by Kyiv and its European allies.
The evolving nature of the discussions has raised questions about the influence of territorial concessions, security guarantees, and the involvement of European nations in any final agreement, as emphasized by both Zelensky and Macron. Amidst these talks, Russian officials have claimed recent territorial gains in Ukraine, although Ukrainian sources have yet to confirm these assertions.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8ng3yjenpo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss