French media: US-Russia talks end: No compromise reached on Russian occupied territories

"No compromise was reached on territorial issues!" This was the result of the meeting between U.S. envoy Witkov and President Putin at the Kremlin on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, U.S. envoy Witkov held a five-hour meeting with Putin, 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: "We reached some agreement on certain views [...] other views have been criticized, but most importantly, there was a constructive discussion, and all parties announced their willingness to continue efforts."

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 America's suggestions can be discussed."

He called the discussion "useful," but warned that "there is still a lot of work to be done" to reach an agreement, as Russian forces have accelerated their advance on the front lines.

According to AFP sources in Ukraine, after meeting with Russians in Moscow, Witkov and Kushner may meet with a delegation from Kyiv in Europe on Wednesday.

Several hours before meeting with Americans, Putin accused Europeans of trying to "block" Washington's efforts to end the conflict. He threatened, "We are not going to start a war with Europe, but if Europe wants to start a war, we can do so now."

These remarks contrast sharply with those of NATO Secretary General Rüte, who recently stated that he believes the U.S. efforts in Ukraine will "eventually restore peace in Europe." The day before, Washington expressed "very optimistic" views about its plan proposed two weeks ago.

President Trump reiterated on Tuesday that resolving the Ukraine conflict is a complex issue. "Believe me, it's not an easy situation. It's a waste of time!"

President Zelenskyy, under strong political and diplomatic pressure, accused Russia of using the current talks to "weaken sanctions against Moscow." During his trip to Ireland, he called for an end to the war, not just a "pause" in hostilities.

In late October, the United States announced sanctions against two major Russian oil and gas companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, marking the first major sanctions against Russia since Trump took office.

Europeans hope that the Trump administration, which is suspected of appeasement, does not sacrifice Ukraine, seen as a fortress against Russia. According to phone conversations disclosed by Bloomberg in late November, Witkov provided the Russian president's foreign affairs advisor Ushakov with advice on how to present a plan to resolve the Ukraine conflict to the U.S. president.

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1850442057328835/

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