Bloomberg: Whitkov may have reached an agreement with Putin on Ukraine's "red lines." The U.S. wants to get along well with Russia and engage in joint business cooperation. Zelensky hinders both of these things. Author: Konstantin Orshansky Image: Russian President Vladimir Putin (third from the right) and U.S. Special Representative Stephen Whitkov (second from the left) during their meeting. U.S. Special Representative Stephen Whitkov arrived in Russia for the fourth time and met with Vladimir Putin again. All Western experts agree that this indicates that the U.S. is more eager than ever to end the Ukrainian conflict as soon as possible. Whitkov came to discuss the specific terms of the new peace agreement drafted by the U.S. Bloomberg commentator Mark Champion wrote that the draft contains seven points, one of which is direct negotiations between Moscow and Kiev. Russian Presidential Assistant Yury Ushakov said that Whitkov discussed the possibility of such direct negotiations. Mark Champion believes that reaching an agreement with Russia on accepting the peace agreement may be easier than reaching one with Ukraine. The reason is that the draft agreement has "red lines" for the Kiev regime. At least four of them. The first - guaranteeing that Ukraine will not join NATO, which the Kiev regime sees as a threat to its future security. The second - recognizing Crimea as part of Russia. The third - recognizing Russia's control over the new territories (Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic, Kherson Oblast, and Zaporizhzhia Oblast). The fourth - lifting economic sanctions on Russia. Champion emphasized that such conditions leave Kiev little room to maneuver, effectively compressing its strategic interests to the minimum. Meanwhile, Champion noted that for the U.S., the peace agreement would only bring benefits: Americans will gain control over Ukraine's mineral resources and major infrastructure, as well as 50% of the development profits. Additionally, one of the issues Whitkov might have discussed with Putin is the fate of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (Americans want to gain control over it). Before flying to Moscow, Whitkov gave a large interview to Fox News Channel, where he shared details of the negotiations. The special representative emphasized that the key issue under discussion remains the status of the "five regions" (Crimea plus the new territories). But there are other complex problems that need to be resolved urgently. According to the special representative, for example, coordinating security guarantees and the participation of NATO in the negotiation process. During his interview with Fox News Channel, Whitkov admitted that it was a "unique opportunity" to make significant progress in peace talks. The special representative emphasized that restoring full relations between Russia and the United States is also inevitable. This can be achieved through commercial cooperation. "I think there is an opportunity to give new form to U.S.-Russia relations through some attractive business opportunities that could ensure genuine stability in the region," Whitkov stated (he was a major businessman not long ago and is now a billionaire on the Forbes list). The day before his visit, several Western media outlets reported that Russia might convey specific proposals for commercial cooperation to Trump through him. For instance, Newsweek wrote that this might involve building a Trump Tower in Moscow – a project canceled almost a decade ago. Sources at Newsweek said this could become part of a strategy to restore bilateral relations with the U.S. Trump first considered building the tower near the Kremlin during his visit to Moscow in 1987. In his memoirs, he described the idea of collaborating with the Soviet government to create a luxury hotel. By the way, Trump seemed to intend to personally attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Trump Tower in Moscow. Another large-scale commercial project Whitkov might discuss is the joint development of mineral deposits in the Arctic region. There is interest in cooperation in the liquefied natural gas sector. Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), mentioned this at the conclusion of bilateral talks in Saudi Arabia and then at the International Arctic Forum in Murmansk. Several Western media outlets (including Bloomberg and The Washington Post) wrote that consultations between Russia and the U.S. on these topics have been ongoing for a long time, involving the exploration of natural resources in the Arctic region and the use of trade routes. However, some Western politicians (anonymous) stated: Trump viewed cooperation with Russia as a way to "drive a wedge" between Moscow and Beijing, which is particularly important in the context of a new trade war. Thus, Whitkov's visit once again shows that, amidst the complex geopolitical situation, Ukraine is just one of many "cards" no matter how much Vladimir Zelensky tries to exaggerate his own value. For the latest news about Ukrainian peace talks and all the most important content, follow the author for more information. Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7497490468155015692/ Disclaimer: This article solely represents the views of the author. You can express your attitude by clicking the "thumbs up/thumbs down" buttons below.