Negotiations conducted with the United States and European nations, aimed at ending the nearly four-year war with Russia, were "very close to a real result," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday.
Ukrainian negotiators led by senior official Rustem Umerov, along with representatives from Europe, have held a series of meetings with U.S. envoys, including in recent days in Florida.
Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, President Vladimir Putin's investment envoy, has also been holding separate talks with U.S. officials in Florida.
Officials in both Ukraine and Russia said their teams were returning home on Monday to report on the outcome of the discussions.
"It all looks quite worthy ... And here it is important that this is the work of both us (Ukraine) and the United States of America. This suggests that we are very close to a real result," Zelenskyy told a gathering devoted to Ukrainian diplomats.
Zelenskyy said the negotiators had been working on a 20-point plan, put forward by U.S. envoys, which has been under discussion for weeks after an initial draft was criticised by Ukrainians and Europeans as being too slanted towards Russia.
"Not everything is ideal with this, but the plan is there," he said.
Also under discussion were security guarantees Ukraine has been seeking to guard against any future Russian military action once the fighting stops, as well as a plan for Ukraine's economic recovery.
"The basic block of all the documents is ready. It's basic," Zelenskyy said. "There are some matters for which we are not prepared. And I am certain that there are matters for which the Russians are not prepared."
The U.S. team has been led by President Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Speaking later in his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said the key issue was to determine whether the United States was able to "get a response from Russia, real readiness on the part of that country to focus on something other than aggression."
He said continued pressure on the Kremlin was vital to reduce Moscow's capacity to wage war.
"Lowering the price of Russian oil, strong global sanctions and continued other forms of pressure are what can persuade even a stubborn person," he said.
"This year, much has already been done to reduce the money available to Russia's war machine."
As leaders from across Eurasia gather in Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, the...
Iran has reached an understanding with Oman on transit arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz, but the waterway will remain closed until the U.S...
The death toll from last week's catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet rose to 750 on Sunday, with 3,044 people s...
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused U.S. government and Israel-aligned actors of manipulating energy markets to promote the war with Iran.
Iran has reached an understanding with Oman on transit arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz, but the waterway will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils its commitments, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Saturday.
Russian strikes on the Kyiv region overnight killed 37 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. Zelenskyy added that the Ukrainian capital was under "virtually nonstop attack" from drones.
At least 37 people were killed after a Russian drone strike hit an ammunition depot in the Kyiv region, triggering powerful secondary explosions President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday, vowing to punish suspected negligence in the second such incident in two months.
Icelanders will vote on Saturday, 29 August, on whether to resume negotiations with the European Union, in a referendum that could reopen the country’s long-debated membership question.
As leaders from across Eurasia gather in Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, the meeting is bringing together countries with very different interests, from China and Russia to India, Iran and Azerbaijan.
At least 37 people were killed after a Russian drone strike hit an ammunition depot in the Kyiv region, triggering powerful secondary explosions President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday, vowing to punish suspected negligence in the second such incident in two months.
The death toll from last week's catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet rose to 750 on Sunday, with 3,044 people still missing, as fresh rainfall pushed up river levels and forced rescuers to move to higher ground.
Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are set to convene the first high-level meeting under their newly established Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, marking an early step in efforts to deepen military and security cooperation among the three countries.
In Nepal's Chitwan district, a region better known for its forests, wildlife and pilgrimage sites, authorities are carrying out mass burials for hundreds of victims of the country's devastating glacier-triggered floods as the scale of the disaster continues to unfold.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment