Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Nov 26: Former US President Donald Trump has dispatched senior negotiators to hold high-level talks with Russia and Ukraine but emphasized he would meet Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskiy only if a final peace deal is reached to end the ongoing war.
Trump said Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet Putin in Moscow next week, potentially accompanied by Jared Kushner, while Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will engage with Ukrainian officials. In a social media post, Trump described “tremendous progress” on the original 28-point peace plan, now refined with input from both sides, though some points of disagreement remain.
The US push comes amid cautious optimism in Washington but international doubts over whether a deal can be achieved. Territorial issues remain the biggest obstacle, with any settlement requiring compromise from both Kyiv and Moscow. Trump argued that Ukraine could avoid further casualties by accepting a negotiated agreement, while claiming the Kremlin was willing to make concessions.
Ukrainian President Zelenskiy maintained that discussions with the US continue and expressed gratitude for Trump’s efforts but did not confirm agreement on the plan. Officials in Kyiv have also been seeking a direct meeting with Trump, who departed Washington for Mar-a-Lago for Thanksgiving.
The peace blueprint, initially a 28-point draft proposing Ukraine limit NATO ambitions and cede territory in eastern regions, was narrowed to 19 points during talks in Geneva. Ukrainian and US delegations reported reaching a “common understanding” on core terms, and plans for a Zelenskiy visit to the US are reportedly underway.
European leaders including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron consulted with Zelenskiy and other officials, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined to coordinate with Europe. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov indicated Moscow expects a US proposal but stressed that deviations from earlier understandings with Trump could be rejected.
Despite diplomatic momentum, fighting continues on the ground, with air raids over Kyiv and attacks in southern Russian regions, underscoring the fragility of the situation.