Putin-Witkoff Meeting On Ukraine War Was ‘Constructive’ But Work Remains, Kremlin Says

Talks between Russia and the U.S. on ending the practically four-year war in Ukraine have been constructive, however a lot work stays, Yuri Ushakov, a senior adviser to President Vladimir Putin, advised reporters on Wednesday.

Putin met U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner within the Kremlin in talks that started late Tuesday as a part of a renewed push by the Trump administration to dealer a peace deal. Either side agreed to not disclose the substance of the talks.

Ushakov referred to as the five-hour dialog “moderately helpful, constructive, moderately substantive,” however added that the framework of the U.S. peace proposal was mentioned moderately than “particular wording.” Requested whether or not peace was nearer or additional away after these talks, Ushakov mentioned: “Not additional, that’s for certain.”

“However there’s nonetheless a whole lot of work to be completed, each in Washington and in Moscow. That’s what’s been agreed upon. And contacts will proceed,” the official mentioned.

Putin’s aide additionally mentioned that “up to now, a compromise hasn’t been discovered” on the difficulty of territories, with out which, he mentioned, the Kremlin sees “no decision to the disaster.”

“A number of the American proposals appear roughly acceptable, however they have to be mentioned. A number of the wording that was proposed to us doesn’t swimsuit us. So, the work will proceed,” Ushakov mentioned.

There have been different factors of disagreement, though Ushakov didn’t present additional particulars. “We might agree on some issues, and the president confirmed this to his interlocutors. Different issues provoked criticism, and the president additionally didn’t disguise our vital and even detrimental perspective towards a variety of proposals,” he mentioned.

The assembly got here days after U.S. officers held talks with a Ukrainian workforce in Florida and which U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described in cautiously optimistic phrases.

On the heart of the trouble is Trump’s peace plan that grew to become public final month and raised issues about being tilted closely towards Moscow. The proposal granted among the Kremlin’s core calls for that Kyiv has rejected as nonstarters, resembling Ukraine ceding all the eastern region of the Donbas to Russia and renouncing its bid to affix NATO.

Negotiators have indicated the framework has modified, however it’s not clear how. Ushakov mentioned a number of iterations of a peace plan have been being mentioned on the talks. The official refused to enter particulars, saying solely: “At first there was one model, then this model was revised, and as an alternative of 1 doc, a couple of extra appeared.”

On Tuesday, Putin accused Kyiv’s European allies of sabotaging the U.S.-led efforts to finish the warfare.

“They don’t have a peace agenda, they’re on the aspect of the warfare,” Putin mentioned of the Europeans.

Putin’s accusations gave the impression to be his newest try to sow dissension between Trump and European nations and set the stage for exempting Moscow from blame for any lack of progress.

He accused Europe of amending peace proposals with “calls for which are completely unacceptable to Russia,” thus “blocking all the peace course of” and blaming Moscow for it. He additionally reiterated his long-held place that Russia has no plans to assault Europe ― a priority frequently voiced by some European nations.

“But when Europe all of a sudden desires to wage a warfare with us and begins it, we’re prepared instantly. There may be little question about that,” Putin mentioned.

Russia began the warfare in 2022 with its full-scale invasion of a sovereign European nation, and European governments have since spent billions of {dollars} to assist Ukraine financially and militarily, to wean themselves from vitality dependence on Russia, and to strengthen their very own militaries to discourage Moscow from seizing extra territory by power.

They fear that if Russia will get what it desires in Ukraine, it should have free rein to threaten or disrupt different European nations, which have already got confronted incursions from Russian drones and fighter jets, and an alleged widespread Russian sabotage campaign.

Trump’s peace plan depends on Europe to supply the majority of the financing and safety ensures for a postwar Ukraine, although no Europeans seem to have been consulted on the unique plan. That’s why European governments have pushed to make sure that peace efforts handle their issues, too.

Coinciding with Witkoff’s journey, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy went to Eire, persevering with his visits to European nations which have helped maintain his nation’s combat in opposition to Russia’s invasion.

Zelenskyy mentioned Tuesday he was anticipating swift stories from the U.S. envoys in Moscow on whether or not talks might transfer ahead, after Trump’s preliminary 28-point plan was whittled down to twenty objects in Sunday’s talks between U.S. and Ukrainian officers in Florida.

“The long run and the following steps rely on these indicators. Such steps will change all through in the present day, even hour by hour, I consider,” Zelenskyy mentioned at a information convention in Dublin with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin.

“If the indicators present truthful play with our companions, we then may meet very quickly, meet with the American delegation,” he mentioned.

“There’s a whole lot of dialogue, however we’d like outcomes. Our persons are dying day by day,” Zelenskyy mentioned. “I’m prepared … to fulfill with President Trump. All of it will depend on in the present day’s talks.”

After months of frustration in attempting to cease the combating, Trump deployed officers to get traction for his peace proposals. Requested a couple of attainable assembly between Putin and Trump, presidential aide Ushakov mentioned it will rely on the progress of the peace effort.

The talks have adopted parallel traces up to now, with Rubio sitting down with Ukrainian officers. Zelenskyy mentioned he met Tuesday with the Ukrainian delegation that returned from the negotiations with U.S. representatives in Florida. Rubio mentioned these talks made progress.

Zelenskyy mentioned the Florida talks took as their cue a doc that each side drafted at an earlier assembly in Geneva. The Ukrainian chief mentioned that doc was now “finalized,” though he didn’t clarify what that meant.

Ukrainian diplomats are working to make sure that European companions are “considerably concerned” in decision-making, Zelenskyy mentioned on the Telegram messaging app, and warned about what he mentioned have been Russian disinformation campaigns aimed toward steering the negotiations.

Zelenskyy met with political leaders and lawmakers in Dublin on his first official go to. Eire is formally impartial and isn’t a member of NATO however has despatched nonlethal army assist to Ukraine. Greater than 100,000 Ukrainians have moved to Eire since Russia launched its warfare on Feb. 24, 2022.

It stays unclear how envoys are going to bridge the hole between the 2 sides on such primary variations as who keeps what territory. European officers say the street to peace will likely be lengthy.

European leaders wish to make their voices heard after being largely sidelined by Washington. They’re additionally engaged on future safety ensures for Ukraine.

Zelenskyy is underneath extreme strain in one of many darkest intervals of the warfare for his nation. In addition to managing diplomatic strain, he should discover cash to maintain Ukraine afloat, handle a corruption scandal that has reached the highest echelons of his authorities, and maintain Russia at bay on the battlefield.

The Kremlin late Monday claimed that Russian forces have captured the important thing metropolis of Pokrovsk within the Donetsk area of japanese Ukraine. Zelenskyy, nevertheless, mentioned in Paris that combating was nonetheless ongoing in Pokrovsk on Monday.

Ukraine’s normal employees on Tuesday additionally denied Russia’s claims to have captured Pokrovsk, saying it was a propaganda stunt. The Ukrainian military is readying extra logistic routes to ship provides to troops within the space, the Facebook put up mentioned.

Comply with AP’s protection of the warfare in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine