Russia’s president saved money in advance Wladimir Putin not with threats and propaganda: “”If Europe wants war with Russia, we are ready,” he said the complete conquest of the cities Pokrovsk and Wowtschansk report. Even if there can be no talk of complete capture (but there can be fire control, more about that here), Putin wanted to send a clear signal: namely to the US President’s special envoy Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff.
Putin met US special envoy Witkoff in Moscow on Tuesday evening received. Trump’s son-in-law was also seen on Russian TV images Jared Kushner as a participant in the conversation in the Kremlin about the US plan to end the war in Ukraine.
Kremlin advisers also sat at the negotiating table on the Russian side Judge Uschakow and Kirill Dmitrijewas seen in images broadcast on Russian television. The talks continued for more than four hours late Tuesday evening Austrian time. It was already past midnight in Moscow.
Umerov confident
The basis of the negotiations is the US plan presented a week and a half ago, which was revised in favor of Ukraine after criticism during talks in Geneva with the participation of European representatives. Witkoff and the Ukrainian chief negotiator discussed at the weekend Rustem Umerov in the US state of Florida continue to talk about the plan.
Umerow spoke of “significant progress”, even if further work was still needed on “difficult” topics. Like the Ukrainian president Wolodimir Selenskij posted on X, Kiev and Washington “refined” the peace agreement framework developed in Geneva at their meeting in Miami. Ukraine is approaching diplomacy “with the utmost seriousness” and wants to involve other foreign partners in the process. Meanwhile, Zelensky became France’s president on Monday in Paris Emmanuel Macron received. He accused Putin of increasing attacks on Ukraine in order to “break” the Ukrainian population through psychological and physical pressure.
Macron reiterated the call for European participation in negotiations on a Ukraine plan. “Such a plan can only be decided if the Europeans are at the table,” said the French president.
So far, however, Europe has had to make massive efforts to soften Trump’s ideas and give Ukraine a certain amount of weight in negotiations. However, for most analysts it is a fact that this war will probably be ended primarily by the USA and Russia and that they will benefit in particular in a post-war Ukraine. It is also a fact that Putin is in no hurry to make peace. At the front, the Russian armed forces have the initiative. Moscow accepts the high and bloody losses in its effort to continue to wear down the Ukrainian armed forces.
Putin rejects changes to US plan
Putin says he rejects the latest changes to US President Trump’s 28-point plan. Europe’s proposals were aimed at blocking the peace process, Putin said, according to the Interfax agency. At the same time, Putin said that Russia was ready to involve the Europeans in the negotiations. To do this, however, they would have to acknowledge the realities on the battlefield in Ukraine. “We don’t intend to fight with Europe, I’ve said that 100 times. But if Europe wants to fight again and starts, then we are ready to do so immediately,” he said. Europe has removed itself from the negotiating table.
With regard to Trump’s plan, the EU has made it clear several times that it will not accept a violent relocation of borders in Europe and that only Ukraine can decide on its territories. In order to achieve peace, Putin demands, among other things, that Ukraine give up Donbass without a fight. Kiev categorically rejects this.
In order to reinforce the image of a militarily superior Russia, the Kremlin announced on Monday that the city of Pokrovsk, which had been fought over for over a year, had been completely conquered. This was denied by the Ukrainian General Staff in Kyiv.
Trump: “What a mess”
Trump expressed caution at a Cabinet meeting at the White House about possible progress in efforts to end the Ukraine conflict. “Our people are in Russia right now to see if we can find a solution,” he said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. “Not an easy situation (…), what chaos.”
Trump took the opportunity to emphasize his change of course in Ukraine policy: The USA is no longer financially involved in the Ukraine war. His predecessor Joe Biden, on the other hand, distributed billions of dollars “like candy.” “I’m not giving anything away,” Trump said. Now the Europeans bought weapons in the USA in order to pass them on to Ukraine.
According to information from Kiev, Witkoff and Kushner could meet with a Ukrainian delegation for talks in Brussels on Wednesday. Ukraine is ready for this, the news agency learned AFP from Kiev government circles. However, there is still no confirmation of such a meeting. A meeting of NATO foreign ministers is also scheduled for Wednesday in Brussels, although without the US foreign minister Marco Rubio.