Trump envoys meet Putin’s middleman in Paris to push for ceasefire
The White House is demanding a clear response from the Kremlin regarding a peace plan coordinated with Kyiv.
Donald Trump’s representatives, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, met with Vladimir Putin’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, in Paris on Wednesday to present proposals that have reached near-total consensus with Ukraine, Axios reports.
Despite the diplomatic outreach, Putin has shown no genuine interest in ending hostilities. On Friday night, the Russian military launched a medium-range ballistic missile from the Kapustin Yar site toward the Lviv region. This site is known for deploying the "Oreshnik" missile systems, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
The Paris back-channel
French newspaper Le Monde reported that Dmitriev was spotted near the U.S. Embassy in Paris. Witkoff and Kushner presented the peace terms after two days of intensive negotiations with Ukrainian and European leaders, including President Volodymyr Zelensky and the heads of the UK, Germany, and France.
Zelensky confirmed that the U.S. informed him they would proceed to discuss the agreed-upon proposals with Russia. The latest round of talks focused on two primary sticking points: long-term security guarantees for Ukraine and potential territorial concessions in the Donbas region.
Security and territory
Kirill Budanov, the former intelligence chief recently appointed as Head of the Presidential Office, played an active role in the negotiations. According to The Wall Street Journal, Budanov extended his stay to discuss territorial specifics and the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, citing "concrete breakthroughs."
Regarding security, a "Coalition of the Willing" is taking shape. The UK and France are reportedly prepared to deploy 7,500 troops each to monitor the peace agreement. While U.S. troops were not mentioned in the coalition's initial statement, Zelensky stated on Thursday that a bilateral agreement with the U.S. is "essentially ready for final approval" at the highest level with Donald Trump.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
