Trump Envoy Faces Stalemate in Russia Over Ukraine Peace Plan

For the sixth time this year, US President Donald Trump dispatched his special envoy Steve Witkoff to Russia this week.

He received cordial smiles from his Russian hosts,but they offered no compromises on ending the war in Ukraine.

President Trump stated that Mr. Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, the US president’s other envoy on the mission, held a “very good” meeting wiht Russian President Vladimir putin and other senior officials.

This echoed the US president’s description of previous US-Russian meetings this year.

The Russian side acknowledged the talks were constructive but presented a different view of the five-hour discussion.

“Compromises have not been found yet,” said Yuri Ushakov, a senior Russian foreign policy advisor.

Mr. Ushakov also indicated that some elements of the US draft peace plan to end the war in Ukraine were “not suitable” for Russia.

Notably, President Trump did not send US Secretary of State Marco rubio, an experienced diplomat, to Moscow with Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner, both businessmen. All three had recently met with senior Ukrainian officials in Florida.

During that meeting, Ukraine’s negotiating team, now led by former defense minister Rustem Umerov, sought to revise a Russia-pleasant 28-point plan proposed by the US. They aimed to prevent Ukraine from being forced to cede territory or accept a reduced military.

This revised draft, incorporating Ukraine’s red lines and input from a European counterproposal, was the document the two US envoys presented to Mr. Putin and his team in Moscow.

Reports indicate that US and Ukrainian officials will hold fresh talks in Miami, suggesting the US continues to pursue the framework of the draft plan that Russia largely opposed.

President Trump maintains that Russia’s leader wants to end the war.

The Kremlin may desire an end to the war, but only on its terms – a peace deal that would cede one-fifth of Ukraine and leave it militarily and politically weakened, vulnerable to future Russian invasion.

This week,Mr. Putin made two statements that encapsulated his approach to negotiations.

First, on Tuesday, he issued a veiled threat against Europe, stating that Russia was prepared for war if the continent desired it.

The implied message was that Europe should refrain from interfering in US-Russia efforts to reach a deal over Ukraine.

The notion of Europe wanting war with Russia is unfounded, but senior russian officials are framing the narrative this way, blaming Europe’s increased defence spending for escalating tensions.

Russia’s ambassador to the UK gave