MOSCOW, Dec 4 : Clarifying its official stance over the US-proposed peace plan for ending the war, Russia on Thursday confirmed that it has not dismissed the proposal, though there are certain lingering differences on key issues which need to be resolved.
The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, speaking to reporters, stressed that Moscow and Washington are continuing efforts to find a workable compromise, acceptable to both sides while keeping in mind the core demands of each side.
Peskov’s remarks followed a five-hour meeting in the Kremlin between President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Dec 3, joined at one stage by unofficial US presidential aide Jared Kushner.
The talks, while described as constructive, ended without a breakthrough – though both sides characterised the exchange as an important step in opening a direct channel for negotiations.
Peskov denied that Putin had rejected the American proposals outright. “It would be wrong to say the president turned them down,” he said, noting that some elements were viewed as acceptable while others were deemed incompatible with Russia’s position. He described this as a “normal negotiation process” centred on finding “a search for compromise.”
Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov called the discussion “very useful, constructive and substantive,” emphasising that the talks focused on underlying issues rather than the specific wording of the draft documents.
He confirmed that four papers related to Washington’s plan had been handed over, but declined to discuss details, saying negotiations should proceed “in silence” rather than through “megaphone diplomacy.” Moscow believes the US side is adhering to the same approach, he added.
The talks drew on a US-drafted framework that first became public in November after a draft of the Trump-brokered 28-point proposal was leaked to the media.
The draft was heavily criticised for its noticeably pro-Russia stance, although Trump had clarified that this draft was not a final version, but rather a blueprint open to amendments after further discussions.
Early version required Ukraine to withdraw from parts of Donbass still under its control, renounce NATO membership aspirations and accept limits on the size of its military – provisions. Kyiv and several EU member states objected to in subsequent rounds of discussions `with Washington.
While Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly rejected any territorial concessions, he has nonetheless acknowledged that “there are no simple solutions” and said he expected “signals” from the US team following its Moscow visit.
According to Ukrainian officials, a planned meeting between Kyiv and Washington was postponed after the Kremlin talks, while another area which significantly affected the US-Russia talks was the latter’s stance.
Noting that Moscow’s demands were being made from a position of strength, it was pointed out that Russia currently holds a sizeable advantage over Ukraine in the ongoing military campaign.
Despite the lack of immediate progress, all parties framed the Moscow meeting as a meaningful step toward a potential settlement, as Putin and the Washington aides agreed to continue discussions, with further contacts expected in the coming days. the officials said.
(UNI)
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