푸틴·젤렌스키 연쇄 접촉한 미 특사…미·러·우크라 3자협상 재가동 추진

In a series of meetings, the U.S. diplomats Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner facilitated negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Despite the core demands being vastly different, the U.S. is pushing for a resumption of 3-way talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. within the near future.

U.S. Special Representative Steve Slutsky and Trump’s son-in-law Reiterated Kuslen visited Kyiv on the 6th local time and discussed peace terms with Zelenskyy. This was the first time either diplomat had visited Ukraine. Recent U.S. diplomatic focus on the Iran war has caused the Ukraine peace talks to lose momentum, the U.S. assessment found.

Slutsky told reporters after the meeting that they had "very practical and important discussions" and that they "felt optimistic" about new ideas. Kushner also said the Trump administration is focused on creating a framework for long-term and stable peace, not just ending the conflict. The U.S. suggested restarting the 3-way direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine after the last one held about 6 months ago.

Kushner believes Russia and Ukraine should sit down directly to discuss their points of contention, and that they hope to see progress soon. Zelenskyy also expressed his willingness to participate in 3-way meetings and added the 'Prosperity Plan' for Ukraine's reconstruction to the agenda. While key issues like the Donbas region remain contentious, both sides remain far apart on most central points.

Zelenskyy reiterated that the Donbas issue is part of the war. Russia demands its troops retreat from the region, but Ukraine refuses. Slutsky acknowledged that there are still difficult negotiations left before peace. He said that both sides need to make compromises and narrow the gap of differences. He emphasized the need for a "successful diplomatic solution" and stressed that they are working hard for it.

Military and energy support for Ukraine was also a major issue. The Ukrainian President suggested Russia may launch a new power grid attack on Ukraine this winter, and discussed a "winter package" of Patriot missile defense systems and anti-missile systems alongside energy support. He said winter conflict may be likely. Zelenskyy particularly labeled missile defense as Ukraine's "weak spot".

He expressed hope for additional Patriot missile production from the U.S. in 2024. Slutsky and Kushner met with Putin for over 3 hours in Moscow the day before. Both Russia and the U.S. positively assessed the talks, but no concrete agreement was disclosed. The U.S. officials said they discussed "practical plans for the next step" and expect follow-up measures to be announced soon.

While both Russia and Ukraine halted attacks on each other's capitals, fighting continued in other regions. Ukraine attacked the Russian Remez plant, and Russia continued missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian locations.