U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Dec. 2, according to the Kremlin.
Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik said the departure of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, in the midst of a corruption probe in Kyiv was unlikely to have a “negative impact” on discussions from a Russian perspective.
Although neither Zelenskyy nor Yermak has been accused of wrongdoing by those leading the investigation, the Ukrainian president’s political opponents have pushed for more accountability of senior leaders in Kyiv’s government.
“Yermak’s withdrawal is unlikely to have a negative impact on the negotiation process,” Russian outlet Izvestia reported Miroshnik saying on Dec.1.
“For six years, while he was participating in the Minsk, Normandy, and other formats, Yermak was constantly playing a game aimed at breaking down the negotiations.”
Miroshnik said Yermak was presenting the appearance of trying to end the war while failing to deliver results and effectively enabling the continuation of the war.
“In this case, the crisis unfolding in Ukraine provides certain additional opportunities for the country to choose a more pragmatic path rather than continuing to serve the West, which orchestrates Kiev’s actions now,” he said.
Miroshnik’s comments came ahead of Zelenskyy arriving in Paris for further talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, the Ukrainian leader’s second visit to France in as many weeks.
“There are some tough issues that still have to be worked through,” he wrote.
“Our representatives will return to Europe in the coming days, and after speaking with them and receiving a full report on how the negotiations went, we will decide on our further activities. And for today, we have talks planned with our friends in Europe. It will be a very substantive day. Diplomacy, defense, energy – the priorities are clear. I thank everyone who is helping!”
Following a meeting with Ukrainian officials on Nov. 30, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that progress had been made in reaching an endgame to the war.
“It’s not just about the terms that ends fighting,” he said. “It’s about also the terms that set up Ukraine for long-term prosperity. ... I think we built on that today, but there’s more work to be done.”
Before the talks had ended, Rubio said he expected the Trump administration to “make even more progress.”
“The end goal, obviously, is not just the end of the war,” he said. “But it’s also about securing an end to the war that leaves Ukraine sovereign and independent and with an opportunity at real prosperity.”
Also involved in the discussions were Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.
Speaking about the efforts to end the war, Trump told reporters that Rubio and company are “doing pretty well” with the negotiations.
“Ukraine’s got some difficult little problems. We have some difficult problems, but I think Russia would like to see it end. And I know Ukraine would like to see it [end],” Trump said. “I think there’s a good chance we can make a deal.”
