The US-proposed plans for concluding the nearly four-year-long conflict, which were leaked last month, have raised alarm among European and Ukrainian officials who feel they heavily favor Russia, raising concerns that US President Donald Trump’s administration might pressure Kyiv into making excessive concessions.
Since then, European and Ukrainian negotiators have engaged with Trump’s representatives to incorporate their suggestions into the US drafts, although the details of the current proposal remain undisclosed.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov informed reporters in Moscow that the adjustments made by European and Ukrainian negotiators would not bolster the chances of peace.
“This is not a prediction,” Ushakov was cited as saying by Russian media, despite acknowledging that he had not reviewed the precise proposals in writing yet.
“I’m confident that the suggestions put forth by the Europeans and Ukrainians, or being attempted, certainly do not enhance the document and fail to promote the potential for achieving lasting peace.”
Putin envoy meets US officials in Florida
Ushakov’s comments followed a meeting on Saturday in Florida between Putin’s special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, and US special envoy Steve Witkoff, along with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Dmitriev indicated that discussions would carry on into Sunday.
The Miami gathering followed US discussions on Friday with Ukrainian and European representatives.
The key issues include whether Putin will agree to end the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II, the future of Ukraine, the degree to which European powers are marginalized, and the durability of a peace agreement brokered by the United States.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy mentioned on Saturday that Ukraine would support a US initiative for trilateral talks involving the United States and Russia, provided it enhanced prisoner exchanges and opened pathways for national leaders to convene.
Ushakov remarked that the concept of trilateral discussions had not been thoroughly explored by anyone and was not actively under consideration.
Russia contends that European leaders are determined to derail peace negotiations by imposing conditions they understand Russia will reject, which involved capturing 12-17 square km (4.6-6.6 square miles) of Ukrainian territory daily in 2025.
Ukrainian and European leaders assert that Russia must not be permitted to achieve its objectives following what they describe as an imperial-style land grab.
Russia initiated its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 after eight years of conflict in eastern Ukraine, marking the most significant confrontation between Moscow and the West since the height of the Cold War.
Putin characterizes the war as a critical juncture in relations with Western nations, which he claims humiliated Russia following the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991 by expanding NATO and infringing upon what he views as Moscow’s sphere of influence.
