"I can't say what will happen." Trump praises Whitkoff's Kremlin talks but is unsure of their success.

Павялічыць

Judging by statements from officials, after five hours of negotiations in the Kremlin, no significant agreements on ending the war in Ukraine were reached. On the American side, the consultations involved US President’s Special Representative Steven Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner; on the Russian side (in addition to Putin) – Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov and the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev.

After the meeting, Ushakov told reporters that the parties did not reach a compromise on the most important territorial issue for Moscow. Russia insists on recognizing the annexation of the occupied Ukrainian regions and demands the withdrawal of Ukrainian Armed Forces units from the Donetsk region, but Ukraine considers this unacceptable.

The Russian president’s advisor also noted that the parties decided to keep all details of the negotiations secret.

Witkoff and Kushner brought to Moscow a peace plan developed by the United States based on Russian proposals, and then modified during negotiations with delegations from Ukraine and Europe in Geneva and Florida.

According to media reports, the initial 28-point plan largely reflected Russia's position, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk region, limiting the size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Kyiv's renunciation of joining NATO, and amnesty for crimes committed during the war. However, the plan was then significantly modified, and its current version is not being made public. Representatives of Ukraine have called it much more acceptable.

On Wednesday, Trump was asked about the results of Witkoff and Kushner's negotiations.

"I don’t know what the Kremlin is doing. I can tell you they had a pretty good meeting with President Putin. We’ll find out," the US President replied. "I can’t tell you what’s going to come of that meeting because, you know, it takes two to tango. Ukraine," he added.

At the same time, Trump stated that Witkoff and Kushner got the impression that Putin "wants to end the war," but it is not yet clear whether this will happen. "I think [Putin] wants to get back to a more normal life. I think he would like to trade with the United States, frankly, instead of losing thousands of soldiers every week," Trump said.

In recent months, the US President has repeatedly expressed confidence in Putin's desire to end the war, although the Russian president constantly talks about his intention to continue fighting until the initial goals of what Russia calls a "special military operation" are achieved.

Ukrainian Delegation Flies to Miami Again

The White House reported on Wednesday that Witkoff and Kushner told Trump and representatives of Ukraine about the results of the negotiations in Moscow.

However, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha told "Ukrainska Pravda" that Washington did not disclose all the details of the conversation in the Kremlin for security reasons.

"There was contact between the head of the Ukrainian delegation [i.e. Rustem Umerov] and Steve Witkoff. But since it was a telephone contact, it would be difficult to imagine discussing the details of this meeting for security reasons, since this is a sensitive process," Ukrainska Pravda quotes Sybiha as saying.

Two European ministers who participated in the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Wednesday told the publication that "neither they nor European leaders received detailed information about the negotiations in Moscow."

Several Western media outlets, including Associated Press and AFP agencies, as well as the New York Post newspaper, report that Umerov will travel to Miami to meet with Witkoff as early as Thursday, December 4.

"American officials invited [the head of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine] Umerov to Florida for negotiations after their meeting with Putin in the Kremlin on Tuesday did not lead to an agreement," writes the New York Post. The publication's source said that "Umerov accepted the invitation."

"Witkoff and Kushner will talk about the latest Russian demands, which were discussed during the five-hour meeting in Moscow, and will try to make progress in order to conclude a deal and end the war," the publication says.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his evening address, confirmed "the preparation of a meeting in the United States" with Umerov's participation, but did not specify the place and time of its holding.

"We are waiting for news in the coming days from such meetings, contacts, negotiations," Zelenskyy said. "Everything is happening quite effectively now - Ukraine was heard and listened to at meetings in Geneva and Florida. And this is important. We expect that it will continue to be so. Only with consideration of Ukraine's interests is a decent peace possible."

Later, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, Olga Stefanishyna, confirmed that Umerov would indeed travel to the United States on Thursday.

"Rustem Umerov - the head of the delegation, who has no other job than to negotiate with American and European allies - will land in the United States tomorrow to hold a follow-up meeting with the delegation. Only after that can we draw any conclusions," Stefanishyna told the Ukrainian public broadcaster "Suspilne".

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