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US envoys discuss Ukraine peace plans with Putin before Kyiv visit

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Named sources Ongoing story
  • US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner discussed next steps toward ending the Ukraine war with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, the White House said.
  • Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described the talks as extremely frank, while saying Moscow remained confident it could seize the rest of eastern Ukraine.
  • The envoys were due to travel to Kyiv after Russia and Ukraine agreed to suspend strikes on each other’s capitals for three days during the negotiations.

US President Donald Trump’s envoys discussed what the White House called “substantive plans” for ending the war in Ukraine during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s business partner, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner then headed toward Kyiv in an effort to revive stalled negotiations.

A White House official said the meeting aimed to “advance President Trump’s agenda of peace in the Russia-Ukraine War.” The official said both sides discussed plans for the next steps, which would be announced in the coming weeks, and expected equally productive meetings in Ukraine.

substantive plans

· White House officialThe official described the plans discussed by the US envoys and Putin for the next steps toward ending the war.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov called the talks “extremely frank.” He said the American envoys offered several ideas for possible routes to a settlement, but gave no details. Ushakov also said Russia remained “confident” it could achieve its military objectives, including seizing the rest of eastern Ukraine.

extremely frank

· Yuri UshakovThe Kremlin aide’s characterization of the Moscow talks.

Russia and Ukraine agreed not to strike each other’s capitals for three days to allow the negotiations to proceed. The visit marked Witkoff and Kushner’s eighth trip to Moscow during the war, but their first to Kyiv. Ukraine’s airspace has remained closed since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022, so visiting leaders have traveled by train. Russia’s TASS news agency reported that the envoys had arrived in Rzeszow, Poland, on their way to Kyiv, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he expected them Sunday.

Before the meeting, Putin said Russia would do everything within its power to protect the envoys and the negotiation process in Kyiv. He also thanked Trump for continuing his efforts despite the difficulty of ending the war. Trump said Friday that his representatives were carrying a proposal and added, “We have an idea for peace,” without explaining it. Earlier US efforts have not produced a breakthrough, while peace talks have stalled partly because of Washington’s conflict with Iran.

We have an idea for peace

· Donald TrumpTrump’s description of the proposal his envoys were carrying to end the fighting.
About this summary

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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