The long-awaited meeting between Putin and Witkoff in the Kremlin lasts almost five hours. The talks were described as “useful and constructive” by the Russian side, but the agreement to end the war still eludes.
A real one negotiation marathonthere is no other way to define the more than four-hour meeting between the American delegation, composed of the special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and the Russian President Vladimir Putinsupported by his advisors Kirill Dmitriev And Yuri Ushakov.
The goal was always the same: finding the right fit for put an end to the war that has been devastating Ukraine for almost four yearswhich began in February 2022 with the Russian invasion.
All eyes were on Moscow. Starting from those of President Trumpwho made it known from the cabinet meeting that took place in the Italian evening that he was waiting for “updates on the meeting” immediately after the end of the meeting.
Even the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyas specified in a post published on he was waiting «for signals from the American delegation after its meetings in Russia», so as to be able to establish «the next steps».
The outcome of the meeting in the Kremlin
The face to face between Putin, Witkoff and their delegations is lasted almost five hours. At the end of the marathon, Witkoff and Kushner went to the American embassy, where they briefed President Trump on the results of the meeting.
The first comment was that of the correspondent Kirill Dmitriev, who in a social post he described the talks as “productive”. Then it was Ushakov’s turn, speaking to the journalists present He called the conversation between Putin and Witkoff “constructive, very useful and substantial.”
«Putin – continued Ushakov – stated that Moscow may agree with some elements of the US plan on Ukraine, but some points raise criticism from the Russian side». Furthermore, the discussions would have “focused on the essence of the US plan for resolving the conflict, rather than on concrete proposals”.
This is because, as the Presidential Assistant later said, «Moscow received four additional documents in addition to the original 28-point plan proposed by Trump to resolve the situation in Ukraine». Among the topics discussed there was also “the territorial question”or the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbass, one of the still unresolved critical points between Americans and Ukrainians.
No agreement was therefore reached from the Moscow visit of Witkoff and Kushner, if not a first confrontation with the Russian side after the publication of the peace plan and a promise to continue the dialogue with the American negotiators. Ushakov then made it known that «at the moment a meeting at the level of leader It’s not in the plans».
Putin against Europe
Before going to the Kremlin to confer with American negotiators, the Russian President decided to make some statements to the press alongside an economic forum he took part in earlier today.
«Russia allows the Europeans to return to the negotiating table if they take into account the reality of the facts», began Putin, thus indirectly confirming the European exclusion from the peace negotiations.
«Europeans do not have a peace program and are indeed hindering US efforts to reach an agreement,” he continued leader Russian, following the outline adopted in recent weeks by the Kremlin according to which Europe is the main obstacle to the resolution of the conflict.
The Russian President then declared that Russia does not want a war with the Europeans “but to be ready for it” if the latter were to start it.
Poisonous words also for Ukraine
Commenting on the recent attacks on Russian shadow fleet oil tankers off the coast of Turkey, two of which were claimed by Kiev, the Russian leader announced that, “in response to these acts”, Moscow «will expand attacks on Ukrainian ports and on ships entering these ports».
Even adding that «Russia may cut off Ukraine’s sea access if Kiev continues its ‘acts of piracy’ against the Russian shipping.” Putin then explained that, in his opinion, “Russia is acting in a surgical manner in Ukraine”, and that for this reason the “special military operation” “is not a war in the literal sense of the term”.
Finally, there was room for another verbal attack on Kiev, accused of “not being interested in the economic situation and on the front line because it is busy begging for money” abroad. Not exactly relaxing words, to put it mildly.
