Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the solution in Ukraine with US President Donald Trump’s envoy during marathon overnight talks, and the Kremlin insisted that the territorial issue must be resolved to reach a peace agreement.
The Kremlin meeting, which lasted past 3 a.m. on Friday, came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sharply criticized his European allies on Thursday for what he described as their slow and fragmented response to Russia’s nearly four-year-old all-out invasion that he said had left Ukraine at the mercy of Putin amid a peace push that going through the United States.
Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, who participated in Putin’s meeting with Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, said “it was reaffirmed that a long-term agreement cannot be expected without resolving the territorial issue,” a reference to Moscow’s demand that Kiev withdraw its troops from areas it illegally annexed but never illegally captured.
Zelenskyy said after meeting Trump on Thursday in Davos, Switzerland, that the future status of the land in eastern Ukraine that is currently occupied by Russia is not yet resolved but that the peace proposals are “almost ready”.
On a positive note, Ushakov told reporters that it was agreed that Russian, Ukrainian and American officials would hold talks on security issues related to a prospective peace deal in the United Arab Emirates on Friday.
Ushakov noted that Trump’s emissaries briefed Putin on Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy, as well as previous discussions they had with Ukrainian and European officials. The Kremlin talks which he described as “frank, constructive” and “productive” started when it was just before midnight in Moscow and lasted almost four hours.
Witkoff and Kushner were joined by Josh Gruenbaum, the head of the Federal Acquisition Service who serves as a senior adviser on the Trump Peace Panel that Russia has been invited to join. While Russia is considering the invitation, Putin reaffirmed his offer to send $1 billion to the board from frozen Russian assets in the United States to help finance the reconstruction of Gaza.
Asked about Putin’s proposal to use Russia’s frozen assets for the contribution to the Peace Council, Trump said he thought it was good. “If he’s using his money, that’s great,” he said
Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy met with Trump behind closed doors for about an hour at the World Economic Forum in Davos, describing the meeting as “productive and meaningful”.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew back to Washington from Davos, Trump said his meeting with Zelenskyy went well, adding that both Putin and Zelenskyy want to reach an agreement and that “everyone is making concessions” to try to end the war.
He said that the sticking points in the talks remain the same as they were during the talks held during the last six or seven months, noting that “boundaries” was a key issue. “The main hold-up is the same things that have been holding it up for the last year,” he said.
Russia’s largest army has managed to capture about 20% of Ukraine since the start of hostilities in 2014 and its full invasion of 2022. But the battlefield gains along the front line of about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) have been expensive for Moscow, and the Russian economy is feeling the consequences of the war and international sanctions.
Ukraine is short of money and, despite significantly boosting its own arms manufacturing, still needs Western arms. He is also short-handed on the front line. His Minister of Defense last week reported about 200,000 desertion of troops, and escape of the draft by about 2 million Ukrainians.
Zelenskyy destroys European allies
Addressing the World Economic Forum after meeting Trump, Zelenskyy listed a litany of complaints and criticisms of Europe.
European countries, which see their own future defense at risk in the war on its eastern flank, have provided financial, military and humanitarian support for Kyiv, but not all members of the 27-nation European Union are helping. Ukraine has also been frustrated by political disagreements within Europe on how to deal with Russia, as well as by the bloc’s sometimes slow responses.
“Europe seems lost,” Zelenskyy said in his speech, urging the continent to become a global force. He contrasted Europe’s response with Washington’s bold steps in Venezuela and Iran.
The former comic actor referred to the movie “Groundhog Day”, in which the main character has to relive the same day over and over again.
“Only last year, here in Davos, I finished my speech with the words: Europe must know how to defend itself. A year has passed. And nothing has changed. We are still in a situation where I have to say the same words again,” said Zelenskyy.
He chided Europe for being slow to act on key decisions, spending too little on defense, failing to stop Russia’s “parallel fleet” of oil tankers violating international sanctions, and being reluctant to use its frozen assets in Europe to fund Ukraine, among other things.
More talks in the UAE
Zelenskyy said two days of trilateral meetings involving the United States, Ukraine and Russia should begin Friday in the United Arab Emirates.
“The Russians have to be ready for compromises because, you know, everyone has to be ready, not just Ukraine, and that’s important to us,” he said.
Ushakov, the Kremlin aide, confirmed that a Russian delegation will take part in Friday’s meeting in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi. He added that during the Kremlin meeting the United States expressed the hope that it will “open up prospects for progress on the whole range of issues related to the end of the conflict and a peaceful agreement will be reached.”
Ushakov said that the Russian delegation will be led by the head of military intelligence, Adm. Igor Kostyukov. He added that Putin’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, will hold separate talks on economic issues with Witkoff in Abu Dhabi.
___
Hrabchuk reported from Kyiv, Ukraine and Manenkov from Davos, Switzerland. Josh Boak on Air Force One, Meg Kinnard in Houston and Ali Swenson in Washington contributed to this report.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine