Termination negotiations war in Ukraine returned to the US this weekend where Russian President Vladimir PutinThe US envoy called the discussions “constructive” as Washington pushes for a peace deal by Christmas.
Kremlin spokesman Kirill Dmitriev expressed optimism in brief comments to reporters in Miami on Saturday after meetings with American negotiators. “The discussions are constructive,” he said. “They started and continued today and will continue tomorrow.”
Negotiators from Ukraine, Europe and the United States said last week that Kyiv had been offered reliable security guaranteesincluding one that would reflect NATO's Article 5 and ensure a collective response from Ukraine's allies should Moscow ever attack again.
The Kremlin has expressed skepticism that any of the agreed terms will be acceptable to it, and Putin's foreign aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters on Sunday that the changes to the peace plan sought by Kyiv and the Europeans “certainly do not improve the documents and do not improve the prospects for achieving long-term peace,” Russian state news agency TASS reported.
Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican, said Sunday on NBC News' “Meet the Press” that U.S. negotiators risk “overestimating” Putin's willingness to end the war as negotiations drag on and the conflict intensifies.
“I think Putin will continue to take Donbass by force until we increase the pressure,” he told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker, adding: “We continue to engage with Russia, we continue to try to lure Putin to the peace table, and he rejects all our efforts.”
“I would go all in if Putin refuses,” Graham said, calling on the US to give Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine and seize container ships carrying sanctioned Russian oil.
President Donald Trump has been pressuring Kyiv to make a peace that would greatly benefit Russia, but Ukraine has unequivocally refused to give up territory that Moscow did not seize by force – which was part of Trump's original 28-point peace plan The information was leaked to the media last month. The plan has been revised in a flurry of diplomatic talks in European capitals and the United States over the past couple of weeks to make it more acceptable to Ukraine, but key issues regarding Kyiv's sovereignty and territory remain unresolved.
“Peace is better than war, but not at any cost, because we have already paid a high price,” Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said on Saturday on Telegram. His negotiating team met with the American delegation and European officials on Friday ahead of meetings with Dmitriev. Zelensky also said on Saturday that the US had proposed a trilateral meeting involving Russia and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov unexpectedly told Russian state news agency RIA on Sunday that Putin was ready to speak directly with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Europeans have been jockeying for a seat at the table, largely sidelined from negotiations between Washington and the Kremlin.
Peskov said that any possible dialogue with Macron should be aimed at “trying to understand each other's positions” and not at trying to “lecture each other.”
French news outlet France 24 reported on Sunday that the French president welcomed the news from the Kremlin, adding that he would decide in the coming days on how best to proceed.
Macron said last week that Europe would have to resume direct talks with Putin if the latest US-led effort fails. Asked about Macron's comments, Zelensky told reporters on Saturday that Kyiv must “fight” to continue the talks in their current format, led by the US and supported by Europe.
Europe showed a clear lack of unity on Thursday after it failed to agree on a transfer billions of Russian assetsblocked in the European Union after a full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine as part of a so-called reparations loan after threats of legal action from Russia. Instead, he agreed to provide a $105 billion loan to support cash-strapped Kyiv over the next two years.
Putin made no secret of his contempt for Europe as he stuck to his tough demands on Ukraine.
He accused the European leaders whom he last week they were called “piglets” trying to stop Trump's peace efforts while threatening the continent with war.
On Wednesday, he expressed hope that Europe will return to the path of dialogue with Moscow, if not under the current political leadership, then with those who replace it.
