Kyiv [Ukraine], December 5 (ANI): Ukrainian representatives led by Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security, Rustem Umerov, and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Andrii Hnatov, will continue discussions with the US negotiation team led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Friday, after nearly five hours of talks with Moscow produced “no compromise” from the Russian side on Ukraine peace plans.
In a post on X, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv’s priority is to obtain full clarity about what was discussed in Moscow and to ensure Ukraine’s interests remain central in all diplomatic efforts. He said Ukraine is prepared for “any possible developments” and will continue to work “as constructively as possible” with international partners to secure a dignified peace.
“Today, Ukrainian representatives will continue their discussions in the United States with President Trump’s team. Our task now is to obtain full information about what was said in Moscow and what other pretexts Putin has come up with to drag out the war and to pressure Ukraine,” Zelenskyy wrote.
“Ukraine is prepared for any possible developments, and of course we will work as constructively as possible with all partners to ensure that peace is achieved – and that it is, after all, a dignified peace. Only a dignified peace provides real security, and we fully understand that this requires – and will continue to require – the support of our partners,” he added.
The follow-up talks come after Russian President Vladimir Putin held about five hours of meetings with US negotiators led by Trump’s special envoy Witkoff in an effort to end the nearly four-year war. Senior Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said no compromise was reached on territorial issues.
In an interview with Aaj India Today, Putin reiterated that Moscow will not compromise on what it sees as its security interests, saying Ukraine’s security should not come at Russia’s expense. Addressing NATO expansion, Ukraine’s leadership, and US involvement in peace efforts, he said when Zelenskyy came to power he promised peace but later prioritized a narrow nationalist agenda.
“When this gentleman came to power, he declared that he would pursue peace at all costs, using every means possible, without sparing even his career. But now we see things differently. He follows the same pattern as his predecessors — putting the interests of a narrow nationalist group, particularly radical nationalists, ahead of those of the people,” Putin said. He accused the current government of resembling “a neo-Nazi regime” by conflating extreme nationalism with neo-Nazism and argued Kyiv continues to favour military solutions.
Putin said Russia is open to negotiations but will not accept terms that undermine its security. On NATO, he argued that while each country has the right to choose its defence arrangements, that must not be done at Russia’s expense, and he pointed to past assurances against eastward expansion as commitments that were broken.
“We are not asking for anything unusual… They were pledged to Russia back in the ’90s: no expansion eastward — this was stated publicly. Since then, several waves of expansion took place, culminating with Ukraine being drawn into NATO. This completely displeases us and poses a serious threat,” he said.
Putin also noted Ukraine’s original Declaration of State Sovereignty, saying it recognised Ukraine as a neutral state. When asked about Kyiv’s 28-point peace proposal, he said it had been restructured into four packages but remained essentially the same set of points.
“They simply broke down those 28 points, then 27, into four packages and proposed discussing these four packages. But essentially, it’s still just the same old 27 points,” he said. (ANI)
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