The United States confirms that it is negotiating peace with both Kiev and Moscow: “We think it is acceptable to both sides”
Officials from the Administration of US President Donald Trump held talks with Ukraine last week on a peace plan that would be acceptable to both Ukraine and Russia, said Thursday, November 20, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
Donald Trump supports this plan, says Karoline Leavitt. AFP PHOTO
She thus confirmed that the US is working on a possible peace plan, reports the Reuters, AFP and EFE agencies, quoted by Agerpres.
The information was initially revealed by the American publication Axios, but Karoline Leavitt contradicted the idea circulated by this publication, as well as by other media and some European politicians supporting Ukraine, who suggested that the said plan would only be negotiated between Washington and Moscow to be imposed on Kiev as a fait accompli or as a form of capitulation.
“Special envoy (Steve) Witkoff and (Secretary of State) Marco Rubio have been quietly working on this plan in the last month and talked with both sides, Russia and Ukraine, equally”stated the spokeswoman of the White House.
“The president (Donald Trump) supports this plan. It's a good plan for both Russia and Ukraine, and we think it's acceptable to both sidesKaroline Leavitt added, responding to reports that this project would primarily satisfy Russian demands.
“The US government is talking to both sides”and the discussions continue, insisted the spokeswoman of the White House, adding that the American negotiating team is following the same process already used to obtain an end to the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
The presidential administration of Ukraine previously announced, also on Thursday, that it had received a draft plan from the US to end the war with Russia and stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to work constructively with Washington on this matter.
The plan would provide for Ukraine to completely cede the Donbas region to Russia, as well as recognition
Axios wrote that the plan has 28 points and claimed that it would be the result of Russian-American consultations, especially between the special emissary of the American president Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, and the special economic emissary of the Russian president Vladimir Putin, Kirill Dmitriev. The European supporters of Ukraine were neither involved nor informed, a situation that caused frustration among them.
According to anonymous sources, the plan would provide for Ukraine to completely cede the Donbas region to Russia, as well as the recognition of the annexation of Crimea and other Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia. Ukraine would also be required to limit its armed forces to no more than 400,000 troops and to give up all long-range weapons.
In return, Russia would return to Ukraine portions of the occupied territories in Zaporizhia and Kherson provinces, would accept that Ukraine receive Western security guarantees, but without joining NATO and without the presence of foreign troops, and the Donbas territories ceded to Russia would become demilitarized zones.
A US military delegation, led by Secretary Dan Driscoll and Chief of Staff Randy George, is in Kiev and held a meeting Thursday evening with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose position is weakened by a corruption scandal involving his close associates, while on the front the situation of the Ukrainian army worsens.
The American delegation also met with the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, General Oleksandr Sîski, who asked for help to defend Ukraine's airspace, to expand attack capabilities deep into Russian territory and to stabilize the front line.
