The United States is open to considering Russia’s perspective in efforts to reach a settlement in Ukraine, a top Kremlin aide said Wednesday, following high-level meetings in Moscow.
Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov described the talks as “constructive, very useful, and informative,” noting that the discussions thoroughly examined a possible resolution to the conflict that has persisted for over three-and-a-half years.
President Vladimir Putin met with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, former US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, on Tuesday to review Washington’s updated peace proposal for Ukraine. Ushakov said the “mood is positive” and that American officials are prepared to exert full effort toward a long-term settlement aligning with Russia’s goals.
During Wednesday’s briefing, Ushakov confirmed that Russia is currently negotiating on Ukraine only with the United States. He added that both sides agreed to keep the details of their closed-door talks confidential.
Key topics included Ukraine’s potential NATO membership, which Ushakov said was “frankly” discussed. He also linked the progress of negotiations to recent Russian advances on the battlefield, asserting that military developments had influenced Western assessments of a possible peace path.
Russian military officials recently claimed control of Pokrovsk in Donetsk and Vovchansk in northeastern Kharkiv, strategic areas critical to Ukraine’s eastern operations. Ukraine’s General Staff rejected these claims, suggesting they were intended to “influence participants in international negotiations.”
