Russian President Vladimir Putin engaged in extensive talks with U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys overnight, focusing on the ongoing conflict and settlement in Ukraine. The Kremlin emphasized that resolving the territorial disputes is essential for achieving a peace agreement. The discussions took place in Moscow and extended past 3 a.m. on Friday, following sharp criticisms from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding the slow response of European allies to Russia's nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine.
Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, who was part of the meeting with Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, stated that it was reconfirmed that a long-term settlement cannot be expected without addressing the territorial issues. This refers specifically to Moscow's demands for Kyiv to withdraw its troops from the territories in eastern Ukraine that Russia has illegally annexed but has not fully secured. Following his meeting with Trump in Davos, Switzerland, Zelenskyy acknowledged that while the status of occupied land in eastern Ukraine remains unresolved, peace proposals are "nearly ready."
On a more optimistic note, Ushakov announced that Russian, Ukrainian, and U.S. officials will hold discussions regarding security issues linked to a potential peace arrangement in the United Arab Emirates on Friday. The Kremlin talks, which began shortly before midnight, were described as "frank, constructive," and "fruitful." Ushakov noted that Trump's envoys updated Putin on Trump's conversation with Zelenskyy and earlier discussions involving Ukrainian and European officials.
During the talks, Witkoff and Kushner were accompanied by Josh Gruenbaum, the head of the Federal Acquisition Service, who plays a senior advisory role on Trump’s Board of Peace that has extended an invitation to Russia. Furthermore, Putin reiterated his proposal to allocate $1 billion from Russian assets frozen in the U.S. towards rebuilding Gaza, which Trump welcomed, commenting that if Russia is using its own funds, that is positive.
In his meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy described the discussions as "productive and meaningful." Upon returning to Washington on Air Force One, Trump expressed optimism about reaching an agreement, asserting that both Putin and Zelenskyy are motivated to find a resolution. However, he pointed out that the main obstacles in negotiations remain unchanged, particularly concerning boundaries, which have been contentious issues for the last year.
Since 2014, Russia has captured approximately 20% of Ukraine as a result of the conflict, and the ongoing full-scale invasion has come at a considerable cost to Moscow, both in military terms and with the impact of international sanctions on the Russian economy. On the Ukrainian side, despite a boost in domestic arms production, the military is still in need of Western weaponry. Furthermore, recent reports indicate significant troop desertions, with around 200,000 reported as having deserted and approximately 2 million Ukrainians attempting to evade the draft.
During his address at the World Economic Forum, Zelenskyy criticized European allies, asserting their response has been slow and fragmented. He highlighted that while European nations have provided support, discrepancies among EU members regarding their approach to Russia have frustrated Ukraine. Zelenskyy urged Europe to step up its commitment to defense and to learn from its previous mistakes, lamenting that a year has passed without significant changes since he made similar appeals in Davos the previous year.
As the trilateral meetings commence in the UAE on Friday, Zelenskyy stressed the necessity for Russia to be willing to compromise, indicating that every party involved must prepare to make concessions. Ushakov confirmed that a Russian delegation, led by the chief of military intelligence, Admiral Igor Kostyukov, will attend the meetings, which aim to explore avenues for advancing discussions surrounding the end of the conflict and achieving a peace settlement.
