Russian negotiator and special envoy Kirill Dmitriyev on Tuesday, according to his own words, conducted “constructive” negotiations with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on a solution to the war in Ukraine. These negotiations took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
“The meetings are constructive and more and more people are realizing that Russia’s position is correct,” Dmitriev said after the meeting.
Positive evaluation of the negotiations
Witkoff described the meeting as “very positive,” reports Reuters, citing the Russian news agency RIA.
The talks lasted two hours, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Reuters reminds that the United States recently conducted negotiations with Russia and, separately, with Ukraine and the leaders of European states to end the war in Ukraine, which has been going on for almost four years. However, no agreement has been reached so far.
Striving for a ceasefire and security guarantees
Dmitriyev also met with Witkoff and Kushner in December in the United States. After returning to Moscow, he also informed Russian President Vladimir Putin about the progress of the negotiations. American envoys later repeatedly met with representatives of Ukraine and some European states. Witkoff called the negotiations “productive and constructive.”
Negotiations on a US-led peace deal have focused in recent weeks on the security guarantees Ukraine is seeking from its allies in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.
Concerns about territorial concessions
According to Reuters, Ukraine’s European allies fear that the US could demand territorial concessions from Ukraine as part of a possible peace agreement. At the same time, Ukraine continues to refuse to accept the Kremlin’s demand to give up the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas in exchange for peace.
Russia says European leaders are intent on derailing peace talks with terms they know are unacceptable to the Kremlin.
Different views of leaders
In a recent interview with Reuters, US President Donald Trump said that a potential peace deal on Ukraine is being held up by Kiev, while Russia is ready to conclude it.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi rejected Trump’s claims and declared that Ukraine has never been an obstacle to peace.
