https://tass.com/world/2052599
US negotiators in Moscow seek to find path to peace in Ukraine — Rubio
The US Secretary of State said that the American leader is "the only leader in the world that can help end" the Ukrainian crisis
WASHINGTON, December 2. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff hopes to find a way to resolve the conflict in Ukraine during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a meeting of Trump's cabinet.
"This war is going on, and the president is trying to end it," Rubio stated, outlining the view that Trump is "the only leader in the world that can help end" the Ukrainian crisis. "That's why, even as we speak to you now, Steve Witkoff is in Moscow trying to find a way to end this war," the secretary of state noted.
Putin is currently meeting with US negotiators, Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, who have arrived in Moscow.
The US had previously proposed a 28-point plan for resolving the Ukrainian conflict. The document was met with dissatisfaction by Kiev and its European partners, who sought substantial revisions. On November 23, the US and Ukraine held consultations in Geneva on the peace plan. Trump later said that the initial US plan for a peaceful settlement had been revised to take into account the positions of Moscow and Kiev, leaving only a few contentious issues. He also noted that the plan had been reduced from 28 to 22 points.
On November 30, delegations from the US and Ukraine met in southern Florida to continue negotiations. Following the meeting, US State Secretary Marco Rubio said that the talks had been constructive, but that much work remained to be done. He added that the US was optimistic about a peaceful settlement, but remained realistic overall.
The Kremlin noted that Washington is keeping Moscow informed about the agreement and the plan. Russia is not disclosing any details, explaining that it does not intend to conduct indirect negotiations. Moscow also pointed out that, thus far, no draft agreement has been formulated; rather, there is only a "sketch" or "set of questions." Putin noted that this could form the basis for future agreements, but it is too early to discuss final versions.
