Kremlin confirms US envoy visit as Ukraine peace talks gain pace

NN ONLINE:

A senior Kremlin official on Wednesday confirmed that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Moscow next week as efforts to find a resolution to the nearly four-year war in Ukraine gain momentum.

Yuri Ushakov, foreign affairs adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Kremlin officials have not officially received the U.S. peace proposal, although they have reviewed a copy obtained through informal channels. Earlier this week, representatives from the United States, Russia, and Ukraine held discussions in the United Arab Emirates.

“Contact is ongoing, including by phone, but no one has yet discussed the plan point by point,” Ushakov told Russian state media. Ukrainian officials did not confirm whether U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, recently active in peace efforts, would visit Kyiv, as indicated by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

Trump’s peace plan, made public last week, appeared heavily focused on Russian demands. After U.S.-Ukraine talks in Geneva over the weekend, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the plan as “workable,” though key details remain unresolved. Zelenskyy hopes to meet with Trump in the coming days.

Witkoff has been involved in guiding Russian officials on presenting the peace plan. Trump described this approach as standard negotiation procedure, emphasizing that a deal requires selling the plan to both Ukraine and Russia. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov downplayed the leaked call but warned that many actors could attempt to disrupt peace efforts.

Meanwhile, violence continued on the ground. Russian drones struck the southern city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, damaging over 50 residential buildings, including a university dormitory, and wounding at least 19 people, according to regional military chief Ivan Fedorov. Ukraine struck a missile component plant in Cheboksary, western Russia, while Russian air defenses shot down 33 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory and the Black Sea.

European leaders have stressed the importance of their role in peace negotiations. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Europe seeks a swift end to the war and must have a say in any deal, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that any settlement must include security guarantees for Ukraine and cannot limit its armed forces or NATO prospects. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expressed doubt over Russia’s readiness for talks and called for increased economic pressure, including sanctions and the seizure of Moscow’s frozen assets, to force genuine negotiations.