Negotiations on Russia-Ukraine Conflict Remain Uncertain

On Wednesday, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov stated that, contrary to some reports, the Kremlin has not yet engaged in discussions regarding a U.S.-proposed deal to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. He noted that any negotiations are contingent upon the arrival of U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkov in Moscow.

President Donald Trump confirmed via his Truth Social platform that he has instructed Witkoff to travel to Moscow. This decision follows a series of intense negotiations with Ukraine, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, over the weekend. Witkoff’s expected arrival in Russia next week suggests that the suggested Thanksgiving deadline for a peace agreement will likely not be met.

The president had earlier indicated a soft deadline of Thanksgiving to conclude the conflict. During a press event with Air Force One reporters, he remarked, “The deadline for me is when it’s over.”

The White House reportedly prepared a 28-point peace proposal, which was shared with the Ukrainian government recently. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed that his team is working on negotiating a satisfactory agreement, although there are now claims suggesting that the initial 28 points have been reduced to about 19 or 20. There have been no public updates confirming the final version, and the Russian government has denied having direct access to the proposals.

Ushakov told reporters on Wednesday that “the Russian side has not yet negotiated any concrete documents with anyone.” He added, “We are anticipating a meeting with Mr. Witkov, hoping he won’t come alone and will be joined by additional U.S. team members involved with Ukraine. Discussions will commence as soon as they arrive.”

Additionally, Ushakov acknowledged this week that Russian officials held talks with a U.S. envoy led by Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll in Abu Dhabi, UAE. However, he denied that a peace plan was part of their discussions, clarifying that they addressed “real security issues.” The conversations included potential prisoner exchanges, but did not mention a possible end to the conflict.

Reports about the Abu Dhabi talks surfaced in mainstream media and followed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s non-denial about such conversations. Lavrov mentioned that there are ongoing back channels of communication with the U.S. but stated that there hasn’t been an official version of the peace agreement provided to Russia yet.

Trump commented on the negotiations Tuesday night, stating that his team has made “remarkable progress.” He noted that the original 28-point plan has been adjusted with input from both sides, with only a few differences remaining. He instructed Special Envoy Witkoff to meet President Putin in Moscow, while Driscoll will engage with the Ukrainian representatives simultaneously.

“I look forward to meeting with President Zelenskiy and President Putin shortly, but only when an agreement to end this war is finalized or nearly complete,” Trump added.

Since at least 2014, Russia has been in conflict with Ukraine, a situation intensified in 2022 when Putin accused Ukraine’s president of being a “Nazi” and initiated a “special operation” to remove him from power. This escalated into a full-scale invasion, resulting in Russian control over four regions of Ukraine: Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk.

Recently, the pace of negotiations picked up with Ukraine dispatching negotiators to meet Rubio in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. Rubio described the discussions as “the most productive and meaningful talks we have ever had,” a sentiment echoed by Zelenskiy. Reports later indicated that Ukraine may have accepted a revised peace agreement.

However, the conflict persists. Russia launched new attacks on civilian targets in western Ukraine between Monday and Tuesday, which continued afterwards. According to Ukrainian state media Ukrinform, Russian forces conducted multiple missile strikes and air raids, targeting military positions and civilian areas alike.

Despite the ongoing violence, Zelenskiy expressed optimism in a video update, emphasizing the importance of continued cooperation with the U.S. and President Trump. “A lot of things depend on the United States because what Russia values most is the power of the United States,” he noted.