The BRICS TimesKremlin Advisor Yury Ushakov Confirms No Detailed Discussion of White House Proposal; Envoy Steve Witkoff Heading to Present Draft to Putin
Top Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov spoke to state media on Wednesday. He confirmed that Russian and U.S. officials did not discuss the White House’s latest Ukraine war-ending plan. This happened during their Abu Dhabi talks the day before. Separately, President Donald Trump stated he would send his special envoy, Steve Witkoff. Witkoff’s mission is to present the peace proposal to Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Details on the Peace Proposal and Security Discussions
“No, the peace plan was not discussed in Abu Dhabi,” Ushakov told state media. Moscow had received the newest U.S. draft, he admitted. He then stressed that “the peace plan hasn’t been discussed with anyone in detail at all.” Ushakov mentioned that “some aspects” of the proposal “can be viewed positively.” However, he added that “many require special discussions between experts.” Furthermore, he argued European officials’ involvement in the process was “completely unnecessary.”
The Abu Dhabi meeting instead focused on practical security issues, the Kremlin adviser noted. This included potential prisoner exchanges. Ukrainian and Russian security officials participated in these talks. U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll was also part of the discussions. He held separate meetings with Russian delegates. This was a follow-up to earlier weekend talks in Geneva. Those discussions involved U.S. and Ukrainian officials. Driscoll left the meeting feeling optimistic. His spokesman stated the talks “are going well and we remain optimistic.”
Witkoff’s Moscow Visit Confirmed as Trump Pushes for Deal
Ushakov confirmed on Wednesday that Witkoff is expected to visit Moscow next week. Witkoff has been active for months in shuttle diplomacy. Other Trump administration officials are expected to join him. Trump had said the day before that he was sending Witkoff to meet Putin. Witkoff will deliver a list of provisions negotiated by U.S. and Ukrainian officials. Trump insisted the sides were “close” to a deal. He has made similar claims repeatedly in recent months.
Trump also expressed hope to meet “soon” with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, this meeting would occur “but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages.”
Revised Draft and Kyiv’s Push for Zelensky-Trump Meeting
Trump has renewed his push to end the nearly four-year war. This follows a stall after his August summit with Putin in Alaska. Last week, he gave Ukraine a Nov. 27 deadline. Ukraine was to accept an initial U.S. plan widely seen as favoring Moscow. This pressure seemed to ease after the Geneva talks. The original 28-point draft has since been cut to roughly 20 points. ABC News reported Tuesday that Ukraine has agreed to the revised framework. A U.S. official said only “minor details” remained before the formal presentation of the plan.
The latest draft is “significantly better” for Kyiv than the original U.S. one. This came from a senior official familiar with the matter who spoke to AFP. It is still unclear if Putin will accept the revisions. Kremlin officials earlier said the original 28-point plan had acceptable “main provisions.” They stressed, however, that it required “further reworking.” Moscow rejected a competing proposal from European leaders. They were surprised by Washington’s plan and offered an alternative favoring Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov made a statement on Tuesday. Kyiv officials are pushing for a meeting between Zelensky and Trump. They seek this “at the earliest possible date in November.” The goal is “to finalize the remaining stages and reach an agreement” to end the war. The two presidents last met in Washington in October. Media reports suggested Trump pressed Zelensky to accept Russia’s terms. Zelensky, who sought Tomahawk missiles during the visit, called the meeting with Trump “frank.”
