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US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Tuesday. They were there to attend the final round of negotiations on a plan to end Russia’s war with Ukraine. Nick Schifrin reports.
Jeff Bennett:
Well, let’s now turn our focus to Ukraine and the scene in the Kremlin today, where it was all smiles when Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
What do we know about what happened?
Nick Shiffrin:
Yes you see it there
We did not receive readings from the American side. The Kremlin says it was five hours. Tonight, one of Putin’s aides said no compromise on Ukraine has been reached yet, and this aide says there are some acceptable American developments, some unsuitable, and peace is – quote – “not closer, but not far away.”
Look, Ukrainian and American officials say that over the past 10 days or so of their meeting, they’ve made progress toward the peace deal that the United States has been pressing Ukraine to accept. But at the same time, European officials told me, the United States is still pressing one of the hardest terms for Ukraine, which is ceding parts of Donetsk Oblast in eastern Ukraine — which you see flashing through there — which Ukraine still controls and which Russia has failed to seize despite 11 years of war.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tried to portray Putin as the one obstructing peace, but he supported US outreach to Moscow.
Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian President:
I mean, Putin is now thinking about how to find new reasons not to end this war. We are counting on pressure from the United States. They said we have to work on this plan and they will put pressure on both sides. Of course, we wanted them to be on our side more, but well, the mediator – that mediator, and they started to put pressure on both sides, and we supported the ideas.
Nick Shiffrin:
The mediator, the mediator, Witkoff and Kushner are now traveling to Europe from their meeting in Moscow to meet with Zelensky.
Jeff Bennett:
The Kremlin saying that peace is not closer yet, nor is it further, is quite plausible. I mean, what does all this mean for the front lines now in Ukraine?
Nick Shiffrin:
I mean, Zelensky himself actually admitted that it’s difficult.
Today, Russia claimed to have captured the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Donetsk. It’s a major focus. Ukraine denied this. But look, take a look at this map with data from the Institute for the Study of War. Several cities where Russia is making slow gains, even at great cost, include Pokrovsk, Vovchansk, and Kubyansk.
These are the cities that Putin argues the United States will inevitably seize militarily, so we should pressure Ukraine to give them up diplomatically.
Jeff Bennett:
Nick Schifrin has two major stories today, thank you, as always.
Nick Shiffrin:
Thank you.
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