Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s particular envoy Steve Witkoff shake fingers throughout their assembly on the Kremlin in Moscow, Aug. 6. AP-Yonhap
MOSCOW — U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin are anticipated to carry talks in Moscow on Tuesday to debate the Trump administration’s controversial proposal to finish the struggle in Ukraine.
The assembly comes after Washington stated it was feeling assured concerning the plan, following talks with Ukrainian negotiators in Florida.
“I believe the administration feels very optimistic,” White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt informed reporters on Monday.
In the meantime Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was searching for assist from European allies, who concern that the U.S. plan — drafted with out enter from Kyiv or Europe — reads like a wishlist for Moscow.
However Ukraine’s negotiator Rustem Umerov stated “vital progress” had been achieved within the Florida talks, regardless that extra work was wanted on “difficult” points.
Zelenskyy arrived in Eire Monday evening for an in-person briefing from Umerov after talks in Paris with President Emmanuel Macron.
He was greeted on the tarmac by Prime Minister Micheal Martin, who posted on social media “Our assist for the individuals of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and democracy stays unwavering.”
Greater than three-and-a-half years into Russia’s large-scale offensive in Ukraine, an AFP evaluation of knowledge from the U.S.-based Institute for the Examine of Conflict (ISW) confirmed that the Russian military final month made its greatest advance in Ukraine since November 2024.
The scenario for Kyiv has been additional difficult by a corruption scandal that has rocked Zelenskyy’s inside circle and compelled the dismissal final week of his prime negotiator and chief of workers, Andriy Yermak.
“We predict a dialog with the president of america on key points which can be fairly difficult,” Zelenskyy stated in Paris.
He stated Russia had stepped up missile and drone strikes on his nation to “break” the need of Ukrainians.
“That is critical stress, not solely psychological but additionally bodily stress on our inhabitants,” Zelenskyy stated.
Macron stated the present second “might be decisive for the way forward for peace in Ukraine and safety in Europe.”
Zelenskyy insisted Russia shouldn’t obtain any concession that “it may take into account as a reward for this struggle.”
“The aggressor should pay for the aggression,” he stated.
Zelenskyy and Macron spoke by phone to Witkoff and Umerov in Florida, the Elysee Palace stated, whereas Zelenskyy’s talks in Paris additionally included cellphone conversations with different European leaders, together with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The flurry of communication continued with a name between Macron and Trump later Monday by which they mentioned “subsequent steps within the mediation efforts” and the French president “notably emphasised the central significance of safety ensures obligatory for Ukraine”, in keeping with the Elysee.
‘Highest’ stress
Washington’s preliminary 28-point proposal to halt the struggle would have seen Kyiv withdraw from territory it nonetheless controls in its jap Donetsk area and america de facto recognise the Donetsk, Crimea and Lugansk areas as Russian.
After talks in Geneva, america up to date the unique blueprint, however the present contents stay unclear.
E.U. overseas coverage chief Kaja Kallas expressed concern over the deliberate Putin-Witkoff assembly, saying she feared “all of the stress will likely be placed on the weaker aspect, as a result of that’s the simpler strategy to cease this struggle when Ukraine surrenders.”
Macron emphasised that “there may be at the moment no finalised plan on the territorial points, strictly talking. It could solely be finalised by President Zelenskyy.”
He additionally hailed new U.S. sanctions on the Russian power trade as a “recreation changer,” saying that within the subsequent weeks he anticipated stress on the sector to be “the best because the starting of the struggle”.
Greatest advance in a 12 months
The diplomatic push comes because the struggle — which has killed tens of 1000’s of civilians and navy personnel and displaced hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians — exhibits no signal of easing.
Russia claimed on Monday to have captured Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub that Ukraine had been defending.
A Russian missile assault killed 4 individuals and wounded almost two dozen others on Monday within the central Ukrainian metropolis of Dnipro, the regional governor stated.
By the tip of November, the Russian military managed, totally or partially, 19.3 % of Ukrainian territory, in keeping with the evaluation of knowledge from the ISW, which works with the Essential Threats Undertaking.
