In recent days, a series of more or less related events suggest a Putin-Trump meeting is imminent. Viktor Orbán flew to Russia on November 28, not only to discuss the nuclear power plant under construction, but also proposed to Putin that he host US-RUSSIA talks on Ukraine. Meanwhile, pressure on Zelensky is increasing sharply: the Anti-Corruption Agency, which the prime minister and the head of the Presidential Council have been trying to dismantle, has reached the heart of its investigation, placing Zelensky’s boss, Timur Mindich, under investigation, as well as the highest levels of his presidential office. The head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, submitted a letter of resignation after his home was searched. If the investigation continues and Zelensky is directly implicated, a profound government crisis will ensue, and the Rada could call for elections. And at that point, his successors will be ready to sign peace agreements. Zelensky is now a one-man show.
And as if that weren’t enough, the US press, relayed by the European press, has laid bare all European attempts to pursue an aggressive policy against Russia. From the German plan to French interference in a series of non-European conflicts, including Myanmar, to Anglo-Saxon support for the Nord Stream attacks. Essentially, within a macro-political-economic framework, the circumstances are being created to halt the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Russian-European relations are a different matter.
A clause on the use of frozen Russian assets was removed from Trump’s peace plan during negotiations, Bloomberg reports, citing informed sources. The initial version of the plan called for the allocation of approximately $100 billion to the Ukraine Recovery Fund, with half of the proceeds going to the United States and the rest to US-Russian projects.
The United States is ready to recognize Russia’s control over Crimea and other territories occupied by Russian troops in order to reach an agreement to end hostilities, The Telegraph reports, citing sources. According to the publication, it is for this purpose that US President Donald Trump has dispatched his special envoy Steve Witkoff to Russia. According to the Telegraph, Witkoff is expected to make a “direct offer” to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will also visit Moscow with Witkoff.
Overall, the initial plan has been reduced to a more limited list of key points for a rapid ceasefire, while other points will be discussed in separate documents. Negotiations will continue in the coming days, said Ihor Brusilo, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. “When all the issues are resolved, and some remain unresolved, such as territorial ones, then the presidents will contact each other to discuss them and will likely prepare the groundwork for a meeting where they can finalize this idea,” Brusilo said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s entourage is advising him against traveling to Washington, fearing a new clash with US President Donald Trump, which could derail negotiations on the US-proposed peace plan, the Financial Times reports.
US allies in Europe have not been fully informed about the negotiations with Ukraine, the Washington Post reports, citing a European diplomat. According to him, there is a sense of “secrecy” at the current stage of the negotiations. “We are not participating. We are trying to start negotiations, but at the moment the Americans are refusing us,” the source said. The diplomat also emphasized that European officials would like a “structured approach.” “Where diplomats would sit together, huddle together, and create something that sounds like diplomacy, not something written on ChatGPT,” the source emphasized.
The current front line should be the basis for the upcoming peace talks on Ukraine. “Kiev cannot be forced to make territorial concessions,” Merz said. The German Chancellor stated that Ukraine needs a strong armed forces and reliable security guarantees if peace is to be concluded with Russia. “Any agreement concerning the EU, Europe as a whole, or NATO requires the approval of European partners or consensus within the Alliance,” he also noted.
Yet, according to reports, a new version of the draft settlement agreement in Ukraine is being kept secret from EU officials, Politico reports, citing a diplomat. “This is an unprecedented situation from a diplomatic point of view. None of us have this information,” the source told the publication. He noted that the contents of the draft agreement are being kept secret to avoid a repeat of the excitement caused by media leaks about the previous version of the US 28-point plan.
The EU will not support Ukraine’s accession to the alliance unless Kiev “roots out crime at the highest levels of society,” European Justice Commissioner McGrath said in an interview with Politico. Kiev must hold corrupt figures in politics and business accountable, the article states.
On November 28, it became known that the Europeans had agreed with the United States to exclude the EU and NATO clauses from the new plan to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, said European Council President António Costa.
Graziella Giangiulio
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