Putin-Witkoff assembly: 5 hours for nothing | EUROtoday
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IThey left the Kremlin at previous midnight. But regardless of a tête-à-tête with Vladimir Putin which lasted virtually 5 hours, the American envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner don’t appear to have succeeded in acquiring Russian concessions this Tuesday, December 2, specifically on the thorny Ukrainian territorial query.
On “We are no closer to resolving the crisis in Ukraine,” nonetheless, tempered Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov. “A compromise has not yet been found” on the query of the cession of territories by Ukraine, and there stays “a lot of work to be done”, in line with his remarks reported by the Russian company Interfax and the official Kremlin web site.
No assembly deliberate with Trump
Ushakov talked about an American plan in 27 factors, one lower than the primary model introduced in mid-November, which was thought-about too pro-Russian by Ukraine and the Europeans, and which has since been revised after discussions between Washington and kyiv. Putin’s advisor described “certain American proposals” as “more or less acceptable”, with out eager to specify which of them, within the title of the “secrecy” of the negotiations. He tackled “destructive” European counter-proposals. Before this interview, Vladimir Putin had raised his voice, declaring: if Europe desires “war”, “we are ready”.
Criticized throughout his final journey to Moscow for having used a Kremlin interpreter, Steve Witkoff was, this time, accompanied by an American translator. Donald Trump additionally despatched his son-in-law, hoping that the duo, who managed to barter a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, would do it once more. Kushner and Witkoff had dinner with envoy Kirill Kiriliev after which strolled via central Moscow earlier than their assembly with Putin.
Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Kirill Dmitriev strolling via central Moscow after eating in a restaurant forward of talks with Putin. pic.twitter.com/0vbKJAPdLH
— Kate from Kharkiv (@BohuslavskaKate) December 2, 2025
At this stage, no assembly is deliberate between the Russian president and Donald Trump. Moscow desires to proceed discussions on the present stage, and a attainable summit between the presidents will rely “on the progress made,” Ushakov stated.
Putin desires to push his benefit on the entrance
The lack of progress on the territorial query isn’t a surprise, says Steven Pifer, American ambassador to Ukraine below Bill Clinton: “Putin nonetheless believes that Russia can obtain its goals on the battlefield. He subsequently sees no cause to compromise. The West should assist Ukraine persuade Putin that Russia will fail militarily and should negotiate significantly to finish the battle. »
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Kangaroo of the day
Answer
Donald Trump’s former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, believes that “the role that the United States plays in the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will have an impact on their position on the international scene for decades. If Russia emerges victorious, American interests – as well as those of our partners in Europe and around the world – will be seriously compromised.”
Last week, a number of elected Republican officers criticized the American plan. “If administration officials are more concerned with accommodating Putin than achieving real peace, then the president had better find new advisers. Rewarding Russian atrocities would be disastrous for American interests,” Senator Mitch McConnell thundered.
https://www.lepoint.fr/monde/rencontre-poutine-witkoff-cinq-heures-pour-rien-03-12-2025-2604607_24.php