Ukraine war briefing: Witkoff shuttles into Moscow to hear Putin’s demands | Ukraine
One Intensified diplomatic effort to end nearly four years of war It continued with Volodymyr Zelenskyy visiting Paris on Monday (a day after the Ukrainian president’s team held talks with US officials) and Vladimir Putin will meet with US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday.
Speaking in Paris, Zelenskyy said the Kremlin’s claims about advances on the battlefield exaggerated. he said Security guarantees, sovereignty and territorial integrity remained among Ukraine’s priorities. He insisted that Russia should not receive rewards for its aggression against Ukraine. He said I was hoping to meet with US President Donald Trump to discuss next steps When Steve Witkoff returned from his meetings in Russia.
The Ukrainian president said after the revisions: Peace plan circulating between Ukraine, Russia and Washington “looks better” and the work will continue. Jennifer Rankin wrote that EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that the talks between Putin and Witkoff would again put pressure on Ukraine to make concessions. And Pjotr Sauer. Kallas said: “We must not lose focus to achieve peace. In fact, it is Russia that started this war and it is Russia that continues this war. and Russia, which actually targets civilians every day to damage as much civilian infrastructure as possible.”
The White House says it is “very optimistic” about reaching a deal to end the war. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: Just yesterday [the White House team] “We had very good talks with the Ukrainians in Florida, and now, of course, special envoy Witkoff is going to Russia.” Witkoff has returned to Washington in the past and delivered versions of Vladimir Putin’s maximalist demands for Ukraine’s complete surrender. His post has come under scrutiny after a report that he coached Putin’s foreign affairs adviser on how to make an overture to Trump.
Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov said “significant progress has been made” in the Florida talks, but some issues remain unresolved. While carefully trying not to anger Trump, Zelenskyy rejected US calls for Ukraine to give up difficult territory that Russia had failed to capture.
4 people died and 40 people were injured in Russia’s missile attack on the city of Dnipro in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said on Monday. Vladyslav Animalenko, acting governor of the surrounding Dnipropetrovsk region, said that 11 of the injured were in serious condition. Ukraine’s emergency services said car service stations, other businesses, an office building and 49 cars were damaged in the attack.
