Trump envoys help Putin drag out Ukraine talks by accepting Kremlin format

U.S. envoys tasked with negotiating with Russian President Vladimir Putin have accepted Kremlin demands to address all disputed issues simultaneously, according to Politico. This approach, reported on November 13, allows Putin to stall negotiations over Ukraine, as detailed by Jamie Dettmer, a foreign affairs columnist for the publication.

The latest discussions occurred in the United Arab Emirates, where U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff represented Washington alongside Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov. Dettmer criticized the tactic, arguing it disregards the fundamental diplomatic sequence of establishing a ceasefire before resolving separate issues to build trust.

Despite the U.S. and Russia's inability to reach a deal independently, the presence of Ukraine and European leaders who have rejected the Kremlin's proposals to alter the region's security architecture presents a challenge. Eugene Rumer, a former National Intelligence Council official under Barack Obama, noted that this strategy has long been a Kremlin objective, aiming to divert attention from the ongoing war against Ukraine and serve as a Russian diplomatic tool to muddy the situation.

Dettmer concluded that attempting to solve all problems at once often means solving none of them, and that this is precisely what Putin seeks. Ukrainian officials, including lawmaker Mykola Kniazhytskyi and former commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, have warned that negotiating all issues concurrently is a Soviet tactic designed to wear down opponents, reminiscent of Russia's strategy during Syria's 2014-2017 conflict, where Moscow used the approach to delay intervention by the U.S. and ignore its own red line regarding chemical weapons.

Former U.S. special representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker cautioned that assumptions about Putin's willingness for peace or compromise are misguided, stating unequivocally that Putin seeks empire and Ukraine yearns for freedom. The Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi was again led by presidential aide and former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky, who has also headed Russia's negotiating team in Istanbul in 2025, emphasizing Russia's readiness to fight until victory, drawing parallels to the 21-year Great Northern War as evidence of Russia's resilience.