Ukraine war: Witkoff and Kushner dine with Putin’s envoy in Moscow

If Kirill Dmitriev owed a good dinner to Steve Witkoff, following the initial 28-point plan for a definitive ceasefire in Ukraine that they reportedly developed together, it hasn’t been confirmed. However, the special envoys of Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, along with the latter’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, dined at a luxury restaurant in Moscow. Either way, while Russia’s capital may be frozen at this time of year, it remains one of the world’s most beautiful Christmas cities.

Read: Putin’s threats: “If Europe wants war, Russia is ready”

According to a report by Ria Novosti network, the three men enjoyed a walk through central Moscow, naturally passing through Red Square, before Witkoff arrived at the Kremlin. Thus, Witkoff’s pre-announced arrival in the Russian capital, which was reported on Saturday by The Telegraph, became reality.

Ukraine war: The Miami negotiations

The negotiations have gained both intensity and frequency. While Witkoff is negotiating in the center of the former Eastern Bloc, US Secretary of State and head of American diplomacy Marco Rubio is in discussions with a Ukrainian delegation in Miami. Rubio has previously stated that communication with Ukrainians is productive, unlike with Russians. This characterization was given to this specific case as well; however, since the issue concerns territorial matters, they noted that the negotiations were “difficult” and “intense”.

Indeed, this is happening while Vladimir Putin, hitting the nail on the head, states that Europe “has no peaceful agenda” and warns that “Russia is ready for war”.

Zelensky plays the waiting game

For his part, Volodymyr Zelensky is in Ireland. When asked what’s happening with the peace talks, he said Ukraine will learn “the results of negotiations between the US and Russia” before reacting. He reiterated that he wants to see “real results,” while requesting not to publicly comment on points from the agreement, though he noted that “you’ve seen many things in the media.”

The territorial issue, naturally, he mentioned as a major concern, along with the use of frozen Russian assets and security guarantees from the US, Europe, and other countries. “I think these three issues are the most sensitive and most important. And I think our teams will continue working on them,” he stated.