Over the weekend, significant efforts have been underway to try and end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that substantial work was done, aiming to bring the war to a close. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed support for a ceasefire but laid out stringent conditions for achieving peace. Among these conditions, Russia seeks guarantees that NATO will exclude Ukraine from membership, with a Russian deputy foreign minister emphasizing Ukraine's neutral status in any peace agreement.
In a series of diplomatic engagements, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow on Thursday. Although Witkoff declined to comment on how Russian-occupied land in Ukraine might be addressed in a potential deal, discussions continue to progress. The meeting also highlighted Russia's demand for "ironclad security guarantees" as stated by Alexander Grushko, who stressed that these guarantees must become part of the agreement.
"Part of these guarantees should be the neutral status of Ukraine, the refusal of Nato countries to accept it into the alliance," said Alexander Grushko.
On the ground, tensions remain high as Putin declared that Russian forces are fully back in control of Kursk and Ukrainian troops in the region have been isolated. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Putin of attempting to sabotage diplomatic efforts for an immediate ceasefire. Despite these tensions, the United States and Ukraine have agreed to propose a 30-day ceasefire to Russia.
As part of the diplomatic maneuvering, Trump reportedly had a 90-minute call with Putin about initiating immediate negotiations to end the three-year war in Ukraine. Trump revealed that talks on dividing assets between Russia and Ukraine were already underway.
"We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants," Trump stated.
Looking ahead, Trump announced plans to speak with Putin again on Tuesday to discuss a possible ceasefire further.
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