US envoys meet Putin: What’s behind latest diplomacy on Russia-Ukraine war?

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US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner person held talks with President Vladmir Putin successful Moscow, successful what appears to beryllium caller efforts by the Trump medication to extremity the Russia-Ukraine war.

US President Donald Trump said connected Saturday that the envoys were bringing “a connection to extremity the war” – Europe’s deadliest struggle since World War II – and a elder ⁠⁠Russian ⁠⁠official said it was an “important peacemaking visit”.

What was the result of the meeting?

Kremlin adjutant Yuri Ushakov said the high-level talks were “highly useful” and lasted for much than 3 hours, according to Reuters.

Witkoff and Kushner “outlined a fig of ideas regarding imaginable avenues for a settlement,” said Ushakov, without providing immoderate further detail, but added that the talks had been “substantive, precise frank and constructive”.

Videos amusement Putin gathering the US envoys successful the celebrated Red Drawing Room astatine the Kremlin connected Saturday and telling his guests that the concern they are exploring “is, of course, not an casual one”.

The question remains whether Russia is consenting to compromise, said Al Jazeera analogous Yulia Shapovalova from Moscow. “Moscow demands that Ukraine not articulation NATO and manus implicit 4 Ukrainian regions to Russia, including territories not controlled by Russian forces.”

In September 2022, Putin proclaimed the annexation of 4 partially occupied Ukrainian regions – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The determination was not recognised by the planetary community, including the UN. Ukraine has refused to cede territory to Russia.

The Trump medication has ruled retired a spot for Ukraine astatine NATO – which Russia has opposed. Trump had initially been captious of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but has since mended ties aft berating the Ukrainian person successful the Oval Office successful February past year.

In August, Trump met Putin successful Alaska, but the acme failed to scope a woody to extremity the war.

Why are the US envoys successful Moscow?

Witkoff and Kushner person been progressive successful a fig of diplomatic talks, including the Iran war, the alleged ceasefire statement betwixt Hamas and Israel and the Ukraine-Russia war.

Witkoff was appointed arsenic the peculiar envoy to the Middle East and aboriginal assigned the task of helping extremity the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Kushner besides played a large relation successful the 2020 Abraham Accords that saw a fig of Muslim countries recognise Israel. The inaugural has been criticised for prioritising Arab-Israeli normalisation without addressing the question of a Palestinian state.

The details of the latest Ukraine bid program are unclear, but Trump reportedly said past week, “we person an thought for peace”, without providing immoderate further details.

US officials from the National Security Council, State Department and the Treasury were besides portion of the delegation. The beingness of Treasury authoritative Gene Lang, who oversees US sanctions policy, including connected Russia, indicates that the ongoing financial, economical and commercialized sanctions connected Russia mightiness person been portion of the discussions successful Moscow.

The Trump medication has ramped up sanctions connected Russia aimed astatine forcing it to extremity the war. The Iran warfare has, however, diverted Trump’s and planetary attraction distant from the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

The Iran warfare has besides strained transatlantic ties arsenic Trump has accused his European and NATO allies of not helping him successful efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has utilized arsenic leverage successful talks. He has besides been captious of NATO allies for not sharing the load of corporate defence, peculiarly against Russian threats.

NATO members from Europe person since stepped up their spending and offered to supply information guarantees to Ukraine aft a woody is signed with Russia.

The latest propulsion comes amid deadly Russian rocket and drone attacks connected Ukraine, portion Kyiv has stepped up drone attacks connected Russian vigor sites.

What is Witkoff and Kushner’s adjacent stop?

They person arrived successful Kyiv for their archetypal sojourn to conscionable President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

It was their 2nd sojourn to the Kremlin this twelvemonth and the eighth since the commencement of the war.

Experts accidental Ukrainians are sceptical of the US envoys.

“The presumption successful Ukraine [is] that Witkoff, and to immoderate grade Kushner, are astir susceptible to accepting Russia’s narrative,” said Alexey Muraviev, a elder probe chap of defence and strategical studies astatine Edith Cowan University successful Australia.

Witkoff told Putin that the US president had sent his champion wishes and ⁠⁠⁠⁠thanked him for ⁠⁠⁠⁠the constricted ceasefire during the delegation’s visit. The peculiar US envoy was besides recorded telling Putin that “we volition person each these unthinkable stories and memories, and yours volition beryllium close astatine the apical of it all”. The Russian president conveyed his gratitude to Trump and said ⁠⁠⁠⁠Moscow would bash its ⁠⁠⁠⁠utmost to guarantee ⁠⁠⁠⁠the information of the mediators.

The prime of words and code won’t beryllium good with Ukrainians, explained Al Jazeera analogous Audrey McAlpine from Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.

While the sojourn determination is seen arsenic significant, the enactment betwixt the envoys and Putin is an denotation of “that familiarity betwixt Witkoff and Putin”, she said.

Where the warfare stands now?

Russia and Ukraine announced a halt successful attacks connected each other’s capitals until Monday. The no-shoot argumentation is to guarantee the envoys question to the talks.

However, attacks person been reported successful different cities successful some the warring countries. At slightest 7 radical were killed successful Russian attacks connected Ukraine, portion a Ukrainian drone onslaught killed 1 idiosyncratic successful Russia’s Belgorod region.

In caller months, the 2 sides person intensified drone strikes, sidesplitting dozens. Ukraine’s accumulation of low-cost, long-range drones has accrued the fig of attacks connected concern and logistical sites heavy wrong Russia.

“There are increasing concerns astir the level of Ukraine’s resilience fixed the collateral harm that the Russian attacks person caused to Ukraine’s infrastructure up of the incoming winter,” Muraviev said, portion pointing retired that Putin is looking for a much semipermanent strategical deal.

Recent drone incidents reported successful a fig of European countries person raised suspicions that Russia is responsible, though nary impervious has been published. They included a failed drone detonation astatine Germany’s Leipzig airdrome and a occurrence astatine a drone mill successful Poland.

Why is Trump pushing for a caller woody now?

The US president has said that tens of thousands of radical are dying connected some sides each period owed to the Ukraine-Russia war. During his re-election run successful 2024, Trump said helium would extremity the warfare wrong 24 hours, but that deadline has been revised respective times.

He has hosted Putin successful Alaska and held talks with Zelenskyy respective times but has failed to find an statement to extremity the war.

Recent steps by the Trump medication are interpreted arsenic an effort to revive relations betwixt the US and Russia aft months of stalled diplomacy.

CIA manager John Ratcliffe visited Moscow past period to conscionable with Russian quality officials and the US invited Russia’s Finance Minister, Anton Siluanov, to a caller G20 meeting. His attendance was criticised by respective European countries who refused a radical photograph with the Russian diplomat successful protest.

Trump is expected to conscionable Putin adjacent successful November during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) acme successful China, according to media reports. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said connected Sunday that Moscow has not ruled ‌‌out a trilateral gathering betwixt the Russian, Chinese and US presidents, the TASS authorities quality bureau reported.

Trump’s latest diplomatic propulsion comes arsenic the Iran warfare remains deadlocked and the Ukraine-Russia struggle has turned into a warfare of attrition. The warfare with Iran has go hugely unpopular domestically up of the important midterm elections successful November. If Trump’s Republican enactment loses its bulk successful Congress, it would go highly hard for the president to propulsion his agenda.

A bid statement successful the longstanding warfare successful the coming weeks could beryllium a large boost for him up of predetermination day.

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