Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to stop the invasion against Ukraine on the current line of the front, “Financial Times” said on Tuesday, citing sources close to the case. Ukraine wants fast and just peace, but if we start talking about sovereign territories, then the format becomes an extension of the war, which Russia wants – said President Wołodymyr Zelnski.
Putin told Steve Witkoff to a special envoy to Steve Witkoff during a recent meeting in St. Petersburg that Moscow could renounce his claims against the territories of four partly occupied by Russia Ukrainian circuits, which remain under the control of Kiev – they passed three interlocutors of “FT”.
Russia controls some of the Kherson and Zaporoski districts, but announced in the autumn of 2022 an annexation of the entire regions, as well as the Donetsk and Lugansk Distains. Russia annexed Ukrainian Crimea in 2014.
According to the sources, since the presentation of this idea of this idea, the US began to propose that the future agreement would take into account the recognition of the Russian annexation of Crimea by the US.
As “FT” emphasized, this is the first official signal from Putin for three years that the Kremlin can withdraw from its maximalist goals of war.
However, European sources maintain that Putin can use this concession as a bait to tempt Trump to accept other Russian demands and to impose them on Ukraine.
“There is currently a lot of pressure exerted on Kiev, so that he would go away on certain issues and that Trump can announce victory,” said the interlocutor “FT”.
Zełenski: If we start talking about our sovereign territories, we move to the extension of the war
“(…) If we do not want to play Minsk 3, 4, 5 and a copy of the Normandy format, but with a different number of victims, if we do not want to play in this way, then we have to look at this war as a cake and divide this great problem into pieces, if we really want to settle something. Because as soon as we start talking about Crimea, our sovereign territories, etc., we enter the format that Russia wants” said Zelanski during Tuesday's briefing.
The president emphasized the need to exert pressure on Russia around the world and called the extension of the war “Putin's game”. “This is Putin's game. This is definitely not the game of President Trump. This is definitely not the game of Europe, and Ukraine is not playing it, war is something more for us, it is much more serious” – he added.
Zelanski believes that Russia is trying to withdraw the United States from negotiations regarding the end of the war. “When they (Russian Federation) ask us questions about conversations, I think they push America out of negotiations (…) I believe that America is a real leader. We want them (negotiations) to participate. We want them to put pressure on Russia” – noted the head of the Ukrainian state.
According to Zelanski, if Russia stops the fire, Ukraine is ready to sit down to talk and move to other steps to end the war.
The president said that Russia cannot demand from Ukraine a refusal to join NATO, because Russia is an aggressor who violates the security of Ukraine's security. He also expressed the belief that the US and Russia are conducting dialogue in the matter of Ukraine in NATO. He said that if Ukraine refuses to join NATO, there should be security guarantees.
“The Zaporian Nuclear Power Plant, which I have probably already mentioned, does not work alone today. And it will not operate without Ukraine. And the United States, with all due respect, is not enough. We need our technical staff” – said Zelanski.
According to the president, there is also a matter of safety of people living in the city of Enerhod, in south-eastern Ukraine, in the Zaporoski region, where the power plant is located. The president said, however, that Ukraine is ready to cooperate with the United States to regain the gym if Russia withdraws from it.
Zelanski announced that he would in the near future conduct a series of conversations with world leaders, a meeting with the chairman of G20, the president of South Africa Cyril Ramaphos, President of Poland Andrzej Duda and Czech president Petre Pavel. “We will take part in the farewell celebrations of Pope Francis. In addition, there will be a separate, important meeting with the Prime Minister of Spanish Pedro Sanchez,” said the president.
The head of the Ukrainian state said that he was ready to meet with US President Donald Trump in the Vatican. “In the Vatican with President Trump; we are always ready to meet with the partners of the United States of America,” Zelanski declared.
Earlier there was official information that the President of Ukraine and the first lady Olena Zełanska would take part in the funeral of Pope Francis.
Further talks on peace
On Wednesday in London there will be talks of diplomats from the USA, Ukraine, France and Great Britain about war, to be a continuation of Thursday meetings in Paris. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them that the United States is ready to leave negotiations if there is no progress in the coming days.
In London, the USA will be represented by a special envoy for Ukraine General Keith Kellogg. Rubio will be absent.
A spokeswoman for the White House Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday announced that Witkoff would go to Russia this week to continue talking to Putin. She added that President Trump is counting on the fact that the talks this week will start in the “good direction”.
The White House confirmed that Witkoff will soon meet Putin again
The presidential envoy Steve Witkoff will go to Russia this week to continue talking to Vladimir Putin – a spokeswoman for the White House Karoline Leavitt announced on Tuesday. She added that President Trump is counting on the fact that the talks this week will start in the “good direction”.
Leavitt confirmed earlier information about Witkoff's visit to Moscow by the adviser Putin, Jurija Uszakowa during Tuesday's briefing.
“I was in the oval office with President Trump and Ambassador Witkoff and they wanted everyone to know that the negotiations were progressing. We have the feeling and hope that they would move in the right direction again. And the special envoy Steve Witkoff will go to Moscow again later this week to continue talking to Vladimir Putin,” said the spokesman.
Already on Wednesday in London there will be conversations of diplomats from the USA, Ukraine, France and Great Britain about war, to be a continuation of Thursday meetings in Paris. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them that the United States is ready to leave negotiations if there is no progress in the coming days. On Tuesday, Leavitt refused to determine what would mean the US departure from talks.
In London, the USA will be represented by a special envoy for Ukraine General Keith Kellogg. Rubio will be absent; According to the spokeswoman of the Tammy Bruce Department, he will not be for “logistics reasons”.
Oskar Górzyński from Washington
From Kiev Iryna Hirnyk
ndz/ mal/
