After yesterday’s talks in the Kremlin, American negotiators canceled the scheduled meeting with Zelensky. For Moscow, the peace process must take place “with confidentiality”. Today the Commission presented the plan for the use of Russian assets
A five-hour meeting, no final agreement reached And the cancellation of the discussion between the American negotiators and the Ukrainian President.
However, “it would not be correct” to say that President Putin rejected US peace proposals during yesterday’s talks with Steve Witkoff And Jared Kushner. The Kremlin Spokesman said it this morning Dmitri Peskovcommenting on the outcome of the talks held in the Kremlin yesterday evening.
Peskov’s words
The meeting on Tuesday evening, according to Peskov, «was the first time in which a direct exchange of opinions took place. Something was accepted, something was deemed unacceptable. It is a normal working process and a search for compromise.”
The spokesperson, however, refused to comment in more detail on the topics of the meeting. In fact, the Kremlin’s strategy, as expressly declared by Peskov, is that «the more secrecy surrounding these negotiations, the greater their productivity. We will abide by this principle and hope that our American counterparts will do the same.”
Upon an express question regarding a possible telephone conversation between Putin and Trump, the spokesperson declared that «a phone call is possible at any time. It can be organized quickly». «The work is underway at the expert level, – continued Peskov – it is necessary to achieve certain results at the expert level to lay the foundation for future contacts between the leaders».
For Moscow, therefore, the peace process is alivebut much work remains to be done, proceeding in the most absolute confidentiality.
Zelensky announces new negotiating meetings
The approach used by the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky it seems to be diametrically opposite. That is, aimed at seeking maximum media visibility, accompanied by the involvement of the European allies (which were cut off from the negotiation process by Moscow).
Here are the next commitments, as stated by the Ukrainian President: «Rustem Umerov» (chief Ukrainian negotiator) will hold a meeting today in Brussels «with the national security advisors of European leaders», where the Ukrainian negotiator will brief the allies on yesterday’s Russian-American talks.
This will then be followed by «preparations for a meeting with President Trump’s envoys in the United States». A clue, however, seems to have arrived yesterday. Witkoff and Kushner were supposed to stop in Europe to confer with the Ukrainian side regarding the results achieved with the Russians, the plane carrying the American envoys instead continued towards the United States without stopping.
The EU commission presents the plan for the use of Russian assets
Also today, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has returned to the charge on the use of Russian assets despite the rejection of the ECB. The new (actually old) proposal is to create an instrument that uses the flows generated by the redemption of Russian government bonds that are maturing.
These balances, mostly blocked at Euroclearthe Belgian company that acts as the central depository of the securities, would be directed not directly to Ukraine, but towards a zero-interest line of credit.
The Commission proposes to include all European financial institutions that have accumulated such cash balances from frozen Russian assets, not just Euroclear. This would maximize available liquidity, potentially reaching up to €210 billion and addressing Belgium’s concerns.
Ukraine is not expected to repay the loan until Russia pays war reparationsthat is, never, given that, as said by the Belgian Prime Minister, war reparations are paid by the losing side, which is not Russia.
Von der Leyen emphasized in the usual tones: «We say to Russia that the Reparation Loan increases the cost of the war. We invite you to sit at the table.”
Stop Russian gas, Budapest promises legal battle
Always the same day from von der Leyen he also announced the agreement reached between the Council and the European Parliament to gradually eliminate imports of Russian gaswith a total stop by autumn 2027. Von der Leyen declared that this is a historic day for the Union, stating that Europe is now ready to open collaborations with new reliable partners.
Hungary immediately reacted through its Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, who announced on Budapest will challenge the plan at the EU Court of Justice as soon as it is formally adoptedspecifying that the legal proceedings will begin without delay and that preparatory work is already underway.
