Political analyst on Witkoff’s meeting with Putin: it could be a deal at Ukraine’s expense
15 April 15:19
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced a five-hour meeting with Vladimir Putin in Russia. According to him, the talks focused on ending the war in Ukraine, the future of the “five territories” and potential business initiatives between the US and Russia. The meeting, which sparked a heated discussion in the media, gave rise to new questions – whether it is an attempt to “restart” relations between Moscow and Washington, and what is the role of Ukraine in this
What did Vitkoff talk about after the meeting?
Speaking to journalists, Steve Witkoff noted that the conversation with Putin lasted more than five hours. According to him, the key topic was the end of the war in Ukraine, and the president himself allegedly called on the United States to promote “permanent stability and peace.”
He assured that the talks were “convincing” and that they discussed steps to end the Russian-Ukrainian war and, presumably, business opportunities.
Vitkoff emphasized that it took some time to get to this “development.”
He added that the key to a common agreement revolves around the “five territories,” but did not provide details.
“This peace agreement is about these so-called five territories, but there is much more to it. I think we may be on the verge of something that will be very, very important for the world as a whole.”
Probably, the five territories mean Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which are under Russian occupation and are the subject of constant speculation in the context of potential negotiations.
Among other things, Vitkoff said, at the meeting with Putin, he raised the issue of the NATO principle that an attack on one member of the bloc is an attack on the entire Alliance.
According to Trump’s special envoy, after his meeting with Putin, he saw “an opportunity to change the Russian-American relationship with some very compelling commercial opportunities that I think will also bring real stability to the region.”
Political analyst: Looks like diplomatic maneuvering – at the expense of Ukraine
Commenting on Witkoff’s statements, political analyst Volodymyr Tsybulko
“It’s very difficult to decipher Witkoff’s statements, because he most likely turned to the practices of classical diplomacy, when what is brought to the public is always optimistic, and optimistic phrases always disguise the real state of affairs,” the expert explains.
According to Tsybulko, such rhetoric is alarming:
“So far, it looks, so to speak, again at the expense of the raped – that is, Ukraine has to give something to the aggressor.”
The expert is convinced:
“If the deal that Vitkoff is talking about does not include the aggressor’s testimony, then it is not a deal at all. These are diplomatic maneuvers, nothing more.”
“Putin says one thing and does something else”
Witkoff’s thesis about Putin’s desire to achieve a “stable peace” is particularly controversial. Volodymyr Tsybulko believes that such statements do not stand up to criticism given the fact that Russia attacks Ukrainian cities every day:
“Vitkoff says one thing, and Putin does another. How do Vitkoff’s words fit with Putin’s actions? They don’t. They don’t fit at all.”
Earlier, The Times wrote that Kellogg admitted the possibility of dividing Ukraine into control zones similar to Berlin after World War II. It was said that the British and French military could be deployed in western Ukraine, and the Ukrainian army could be located between them and Russian troops.
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Chronicle of US-Russian negotiations
on February 18, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Prime Minister’s aide Yuri Ushakov met in Saudi Arabia with an American delegation, represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Volz, and Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
After the talks, the US State Department reported that the delegations agreed to “eliminate irritants” in bilateral relations and continue to work on preparing talks on Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The parties also agreed to appoint high-level groups for further negotiations on Ukraine.
The media reported that the US and Russia discussed a three-stage peace plan for Ukraine, which consists of the following stages:
- A ceasefire.
- Holding elections in Ukraine.
- Conclusion of a peace agreement.
on February 27, negotiations between the Americans and Russians continued in Istanbul. According to the Russian side, they discussed the normalization of diplomatic relations. The Kremlin also allegedly demanded the return of 6 properties that had been seized from Russians in the United States in 2016-2018, and also proposed to resume air travel.
on March 13, Putin met in Moscow with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff. The parties did not make any statements about the results of the meeting, except for the words of Trump’s national security adviser Mike Volz that there are grounds for cautious optimism.
on March 25, the US agreed with Ukraine and Russia to ban attacks in the Black Sea.
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