U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev have held extensive discussions on the proposal, which focuses on peace in Ukraine, security in Europe, security guarantees, and future U.S. relations with Kyiv and Moscow, Axios reported on Nov. 18, citing U.S. and Russian officials.
Dmitriev described the talks optimistically, saying that, unlike in the past, "we feel the Russian position is really being heard."
He said the effort was "a much broader framework, basically saying, 'How do we really bring, finally, lasting security to Europe, not just Ukraine.'"
Russia has previously set out sweeping conditions in direct talks with Ukraine, including that Kyiv abandon its NATO aspirations, demilitarize and cede territory it controls, the report said.
Dmitriev met Witkoff and other senior White House officials in Miami from Oct. 24-26, he told Axios. The two sides hope to produce a written document before U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin next meet, although a planned Budapest summit remains off the table.
Trump called off that proposed meeting on Oct. 25, saying he did not believe it would be productive while the White House continues efforts to broker a peace deal, Axios said.
The White House has begun briefing Ukrainian and European officials on the emerging plan, an unnamed U.S. official told Axios. Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov discussed the proposal with Witkoff at a separate meeting in Miami a week before the Dmitriev talks, Ukrainian officials said.
A planned Nov. 19 meeting between Witkoff and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Turkey has been postponed, according to Ukrainian and U.S. officials cited by Axios.
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Source: PAP, The Kyiv Independent