Ukrainian President Zelenskyy posted today (December 3): "Ukraine will wait for signals from the American delegation after the talks with Russia. The American delegation plans to inform us immediately after the talks. The next steps will depend on these signals. We will receive various signals. If these signals develop in a certain direction - if we have fair competition with our partners - then we may meet with the American delegation soon. As for the level of the meeting, we will decide based on the signals. If the signals indicate that a global decision can be made quickly, the meeting level will be higher. I am ready to receive all signals and prepare for a meeting with President Trump. Everything depends on today's talks."
"No compromise has been reached on territorial issues!" This was the result of U.S. envoy Wittkov's meeting with Russian President Putin on Tuesday at the Kremlin. On Tuesday, U.S. envoy Wittkov met with Putin for five hours, accompanied by Trump's son-in-law Kushner, and introduced the latest U.S. ceasefire proposal to Putin.
Kremlin foreign affairs advisor Yuri Ushakov said that regarding the territories occupied by Russia in Ukraine (accounting for about 19% of the country's area), "no compromise has been found yet," although "some of the U.S. proposals can be discussed."
Several hours before meeting with the Americans, Putin accused Europeans of trying to "block" Washington's efforts to end the conflict. He warned, "We do not intend to wage war against Europe, but if Europe wants to start a war, we can do so now."
Comment: The progress of direct U.S.-Russia talks marks a shift in the focus of the Ukraine crisis toward great power coordination, but the rigid differences over territorial issues remain unresolved - the U.S. proposal received only a vague "partially discussable" response, and Russia remains firm on its position of occupying 19% of the territory. The five-hour meeting failed to bridge the core contradictions. Putin's strong rhetoric towards Europe aims both to undermine the coordinated stance of the U.S. and Europe and to highlight his active posture in the negotiations. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has completely tied the decision-making power for Ukraine's future to the "signals" from the U.S., expressing flexibility in the meeting level and the summit with the president, revealing his passive position in the great power game.
This crisis negotiation "without core participation from Ukraine" essentially represents a test and struggle of the balance of power between the U.S. and Russia. Europe's anxiety of marginalization and the interests of Ukraine intertwine, leading the peace process into a "talks but difficult to reach agreement" dilemma. The U.S. attempt to push forward the ceasefire proposal must take into account both its commitment to Ukraine and Russia's core interests, while Russia uses hard-line statements to consolidate its negotiating leverage. The misalignment of demands and the interest games among multiple parties make the resolution of the crisis still face numerous obstacles.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1850443628300296/
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