Putin, Trump envoy in secret talks to halt Ukraine invasion
Vladimir Putin reportedly proposed to the Americans halting the invasion of Ukraine at the current front line, according to the "Financial Times," which cited individuals familiar with the negotiations conducted by representatives of Donald Trump with the Russians. In exchange, the Americans suggested recognising the annexation of Crimea.
During a meeting with Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in St. Petersburg in early April, Putin reportedly offered to stop the invasion at the present front line, as reported by the "Financial Times."
According to the newspaper's sources, Moscow also claimed it could relinquish its claims to those parts of Ukraine's territories still controlled by Kyiv.
Recall that the Russians illegally annexed the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions through a referendum and are demanding that Ukraine cede these territories. However, Moscow does not fully control them.
As noted by the "FT," this is the first instance of Putin showing willingness to abandon his maximalist demands for ending the invasion.
Following Putin's proposal, the Americans began presenting their ideas for a possible settlement. This includes, among other things, recognizing the annexation of Crimea and at least acknowledging Kremlin control over the occupied regions of Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the newspaper that intensive work is currently underway on the agreement. He explained that negotiations with the American side are ongoing, describing the process as complex and time-consuming. According to him, immediate results are unlikely, and the discussions cannot be conducted publicly.
European officials are not pleased with this turn of events. They told the "FT" that, in their opinion, Putin will use the apparent concession to entice Trump into accepting other Russian demands.
According to one of the "Financial Times" sources, Kyiv is facing significant pressure to make certain concessions, allowing Trump to present the outcome as a personal victory.
The Ukrainians are set to meet on Wednesday in London with representatives from Europe and the USA to discuss proposals for ending the conflict. However, neither Witkoff nor Secretary of State Marco Rubio will participate in the talks. Trump's representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, will be present.
Senior Ukrainian officials told the "FT" that they are prepared to accept some of the ideas presented by Trump and his team, although they did not specify which ones.
It is known that the US proposals for Ukraine include deploying a European peacekeeping contingent in the country, as well as separate military forces from outside NATO to help monitor the ceasefire along a demilitarised zone spanning over a 1,000 km front line.
According to the potential agreement, Ukraine would commit not to retake by force the territory occupied by Russia, while Russia would agree to cease the advance of its army.
