US envoys headed to Moscow to discuss Ukraine peace plan with Putin

White House ‘optimistic’ astir a deal, but Ukraine inactive wary that program is based connected Russian demands.

Envoys for United States President Donald Trump are owed to conscionable Russian President Vladimir Putin to sermon Washington’s projected bid program to extremity the war successful Ukraine.

In beforehand of the gathering successful Moscow connected Tuesday, the White House said it was “very optimistic” astir reaching a deal. However, Ukraine remains wary that contempt meetings with US officials connected Sunday and Monday, the connection inactive reflects Russian demands that are hard to accept.

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Trump’s peculiar envoy Steve Witkoff, alongside the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, travels to the Russian superior arsenic portion of the renewed US diplomatic propulsion to broker an extremity to the warfare successful Ukraine, which was triggered successful February 2022 erstwhile Moscow launched a full-scale penetration of its neighbour.

US peculiar envoy Steve Witkoff (R) and Jared Kushner volition caput to Moscow connected Tuesday to sermon the program with Putin [File: AFP]

Trump, who had promised to resolve the struggle rapidly during his predetermination campaign, has expressed vexation that achieving that effect has proved much hard than planned.

Last week, a 28-point draught proposal was leaked. It rapidly earned condemnation arsenic a Russian “wish list” arsenic it called for Ukraine to springiness up immense territory, bounds its military, and wantonness efforts to articulation NATO.

The program has since been altered, archetypal with input from Kyiv alongside its European allies and past connected Sunday and Monday successful meetings betwixt Ukrainian and US officials.

The afloat details of the connection arsenic it stands person not been disclosed.

However, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said connected Monday evening that preserving Ukraine’s “territorial integrity” remains the “biggest challenge” successful ongoing negotiations.

Putin has repeatedly said helium is acceptable to speech bid and that Moscow is mostly OK with the latest US proposals arsenic a “basis for aboriginal agreements”.

However, helium has besides threatened that if Ukraine refuses an agreement, Russian forces volition proceed to advance.

Russian troops person made immoderate headway successful caller months connected the beforehand enactment successful eastbound Ukraine, which has seen small question implicit years of attritional conflict.

“Ukrainian troops indispensable retreat from the territories they hold, and past the warring volition cease. If they don’t leave, past we shall execute this by equipped means. That’s it,” Putin said past week.

Speaking astir Witkoff and Kushner’s upcoming visit, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to specify Russia’s reddish lines, saying megaphone diplomacy was not constructive.

However, Moscow has agelong reiterated that it volition not hold to immoderate ceasefire that does not conscionable its maximalist demands, which Kyiv and its allies pass would enactment Ukraine astatine its mercy.

‘Looks better’

Following discussions successful Paris with European and US officials connected Monday, Zelenskyy said the latest bid program “looks better” but that points regarding Ukrainian power implicit its territories are “the astir complicated” issue.

French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking alongside Zelenskyy astatine a associated quality league successful Paris, said the flurry of diplomatic enactment could beryllium “a infinitesimal that could beryllium a turning point” but reiterated “Ukraine indispensable beryllium the 1 to determine its ain territorial boundaries”.

Russian forces power much than 19 percent of Ukraine, up 1 percent constituent from 2 years ago. This year, however, they person precocious astatine the fastest gait since 2022, according to pro-Ukrainian maps.

Putin’s subject commanders told him connected Monday that Russian forces had captured the strategical front-line town of Pokrovsk.

However, Ukraine refuted that assertion connected Tuesday, saying its forces inactive power the bluish portion of of the cardinal logistics hub and were mounting assaults connected Russian positions successful the south.

US officials accidental much than 1.2 cardinal men person been killed oregon injured successful the war. Neither Ukraine nor Russia discloses their losses.