WASHINGTON DC: US President Donald Trump has stated that Russia and Ukraine are “very close to a deal,” following talks between his envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Trump described the day as “good” for negotiations, while the Kremlin referred to the discussions, which Ukraine did not attend, as “constructive,” according to BBC.
Earlier, Trump shared on social media that “most of the major points are agreed upon,” urging both Russia and Ukraine to meet at the highest levels to finalize the deal.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the need for “real pressure” on Russia to accept an unconditional ceasefire. Zelensky also suggested that territorial disputes between Kyiv and Moscow could be addressed if a full ceasefire were agreed upon.
Reports indicate that Ukraine might be expected to concede large areas of land seized by Russia, as part of a US peace proposal. Trump, while speaking to reporters in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, expressed support for Russia retaining Crimea, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014, a position Zelensky has consistently rejected, according to international media reports.
Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and Moscow currently controls nearly 20% of Ukrainian territory.
On Friday, Moscow saw halted traffic as Witkoff arrived for high-level talks, marking his fourth visit to Russia since the beginning of the year. The three-hour discussions were described as “very useful” by Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov. He noted that the talks helped align Russian and US positions on Ukraine and other global issues, particularly the potential resumption of direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives.
This week, Putin signaled openness to negotiations with Zelensky, following a proposal from the Ukrainian president for a 30-hour Easter truce, which could extend for 30 days. However, no truce has been agreed yet.
Zelensky has faced increasing pressure from Trump to make territorial concessions in a peace agreement. The issue of Crimea remains a contentious point. Zelensky has repeatedly rejected the idea of recognizing Crimea as part of Russia, asserting that only the Ukrainian people have the authority to determine the country’s territorial boundaries.
(Inputs from BBC)
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