Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the peace plan ‘looks better’ following his team’s most recent discussions with the Americans.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner began their meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Dec. 2, Russian state news agency TASS reported.
Earlier, Witkoff and Kushner were filmed walking through Moscow’s Red Square with Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO Kirill Dmitriev, a Putin ally, before arriving at the Kremlin.
“The Russian-American meeting will begin after 5 PM Moscow time. Putin will meet with Mr. Witkoff, the chief American negotiator on Ukrainian affairs, who will be arriving in the Kremlin. Kushner will also be with him. A conversation will take place,” Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said earlier, according to Russian state-run news agency TASS.
Peskov added that Witkoff and Kushner would be the only U.S. representatives present.
The discussion follows Trump’s continued push to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, which has raged for nearly four years. Witkoff and Putin last met in August.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Dec. 1 that the Trump administration “feels very optimistic” about the progress of the talks.
“They had very good talks with the Ukrainians in Florida. And now, of course, Special Envoy Witkoff is on his way to Russia,” she said.
The White House confirmed last month that it had been crafting a 28-point peace plan to resolve the war.
The leaked draft proposal would require Ukraine to make significant territorial concessions, cap its armed forces, and abandon its pursuit of NATO membership. The agreement would also involve sanctions relief for Russia, redirecting frozen Russian assets to Ukrainian reconstruction, and Russian pledges not to attack Ukraine or other European nations.
Since then, European nations have put forward an alternative plan, and negotiations between Kyiv and Washington have taken place in both Geneva and Florida.
Following the Florida meeting on Nov. 30, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that progress had been made in reaching an endgame to the war.
“It’s not just about the terms that ends fighting,” he said.
“It’s about also the terms that set up Ukraine for long-term prosperity. … I think we built on that today, but there’s more work to be done.”
Before the talks had ended, Rubio said he expected the Trump administration to “make even more progress.”
“The end goal, obviously, is not just the end of the war,” he said.
“But it’s also about securing an end to the war that leaves Ukraine sovereign and independent and with an opportunity at real prosperity.”
Witkoff and Kushner were also involved in the discussions.
Putin has previously indicated that the U.S.-backed peace plan could serve as the basis for ending the war.
Speaking at a news conference during a visit to Kyrgyzstan on Nov. 27, Putin said he is prepared for a “serious discussion” regarding the plan.
“In general, we agree that this could be the basis for future agreements,” the Russian leader said following a Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit with leaders from Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan.
He said that a new draft text of the agreement had been given to Moscow. However, since then, the talks between the United States and Ukraine in Florida have taken place.
By Guy Birchall
