President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia met with Steve Witkoff, the U.S. particular envoy, in Moscow late Thursday and now expects to speak to President Trump a couple of potential cease-fire in Ukraine, the Kremlin stated.
Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, instructed reporters on Friday that there was “actually” cause to really feel “cautious optimism” in regards to the prospects for a settlement to the struggle, after a flurry of diplomacy in latest days. He was echoing equally optimistic remarks made by Michael Waltz, Mr. Trump’s nationwide safety adviser, late Thursday.
The feedback from Mr. Peskov signaled that Russia was keen to maintain negotiating with the US over Ukraine.
On Thursday, earlier than the assembly with Mr. Witkoff, Mr. Putin confirmed that he was in no hurry to simply accept the supply of a 30-day truce made by Ukraine and the US this week. Mr. Putin told a news conference that he was open to the proposal, however recommended that he would search to barter over a slew of points — akin to Western weapons deliveries to Ukraine — that would delay any deal or make it unimaginable.
Mr. Peskov stated on Friday that Mr. Witkoff had “introduced extra data to the Russian aspect” and that Mr. Putin “handed alongside data and extra alerts for President Trump.”
However Mr. Peskov recommended that the result of the diplomatic back-and-forth would solely develop into clear after Mr. Witkoff had briefed Mr. Trump, and after the Russian and American leaders had spoken by telephone. Mr. Peskov added that the timing of a Trump-Putin name was but to be decided. The 2 leaders are last known to have spoken on Feb. 12.
“After Mr. Witkoff passes alongside all the data he obtained in Moscow to his head of state — we’ll decide the timing of the dialog after that,” Mr. Peskov stated. “There’s an understanding on either side that such a dialog is important.”
Mr. Peskov’s feedback had been the most recent indication that Mr. Putin is seemingly making an attempt to steadiness a want to keep away from upsetting Mr. Trump along with his effort to power wide-ranging concessions from the West and from Ukraine. Whereas Mr. Trump says he desires to finish the struggle as shortly as potential, Mr. Putin seems assured that he has time on his aspect and that an unconditional cease-fire would profit Ukraine.
There was no fast remark from Mr. Witkoff or from the broader Trump administration in regards to the assembly with Mr. Putin. Mr. Witkoff, who’s formally the president’s Center East envoy, has additionally taken on a key function as an interlocutor with Russia — spending three hours assembly with Mr. Putin final month as he finalized a prisoner exchange between Russia and the US.
Ukraine has already agreed to support the U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal, however provided that Russia does the identical. On Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine stated that Mr. Putin in his information convention had set so many circumstances “that nothing will work out in any respect or that it’ll not work out for so long as potential.”
However Mr. Waltz, the U.S. nationwide safety adviser, later stated on Fox Information that the White Home had “some cautious optimism” in regards to the prospects for a cease-fire. Mr. Witkoff, he stated, was “bringing issues again for us to judge and for President Trump to make selections on subsequent steps.”
Referring to Mr. Putin’s information convention on Thursday, Mr. Waltz stated, “In fact, either side are going to have their calls for, and naturally either side are going to should make some compromises.”
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