Kremlin denies preparing talks between the US, Ukraine and Russia
21 December 2025 18:14
Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian dictator, has denied reports of a possible direct meeting between representatives of the United States, Ukraine, and Russia.
“So far, no one has seriously talked about this initiative, and it is not being considered, as far as I know,” he said on Sunday, December 21, when asked whether the Kremlin was aware of the idea of a trilateral meeting with the United States and Ukraine, which was previously supported by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports, citing Russian propaganda media.
Zelenskyy, who has repeatedly refused to hold direct talks with Russia, announced that Kyiv supports the US initiative to hold a trilateral meeting with representatives of Russia, Ukraine, and the United States. At the same time, he noted that he did not expect a breakthrough from such a meeting, but Kyiv would support dialogue in this format if it resulted in prisoner exchanges or a meeting of leaders.
Since Friday, the US state of Florida has been holding consultations on a possible end to the war in Ukraine. On Friday, Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov and Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Andriy Hnatov met there, on the one hand, and US Special Representatives Steven Vitkoff and Jared Kushner, on the other. The meetings were also attended by representatives of Germany, France and the United Kingdom. On Saturday, Putin’s adviser Kirill Dmitriev also arrived in Florida.
Ushakov’s criticism of European negotiators
When asked about the results of Dmitriev’s trip, Ushakov said that he was “meeting with a number of American colleagues in Miami” and would report back later. Putin’s aide did not specify when Russia might receive the final version of the peace plan.
“He will return to Moscow and report back, we’ll see. By the way, Americans are celebrating Christmas these days. Probably, few people will work these days,” Ushakov said.
At the same time, he noted that the changes proposed by Europe and Ukraine to the American draft settlement “do not improve the document” and, in his words, impede the achievement of long-term peace.
“This is not a forecast. I am sure that the proposals that Europeans and Ukrainians have made or are trying to make do not improve the document and do not improve the possibility of achieving long-term peace,” Yuriy Ushakov emphasized.
