Стивен Уиткофф и Джаред Кушнер. Скриншот видео
The United States has asked Russia to submit a new proposal on the security architecture in Europe. Axios reports this, citing sources familiar with the matter.
US presidential envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin today. According to the Russian side, the meeting could take place in the first half of the day.
According to the publication’s sources, during talks in Abu Dhabi, Russian negotiators said Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine because then-US President Joe Biden had not responded to his 2021 letter outlining his security concerns. Kushner and Witkoff, in turn, noted that the world had changed significantly since 2021.
They proposed that Russia prepare a new draft that would address its security concerns and demands, as well as specify what “reciprocal steps” it would be willing to take to de-escalate tensions and reassure Europe that it would not launch attacks in the future. They also insisted that European representatives be allowed to participate in the talks if security issues in Europe were to be discussed seriously.
According to the publication, the Trump administration wants to negotiate a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine and a new security architecture in Europe simultaneously. However, a security agreement could only be implemented after the war ends.
The United States hopes that giving European representatives a seat at the peace talks will increase their governments’ willingness to discuss a broader security agreement before the war ends. At the same time, the publication’s sources say the United States has made clear to European countries that it will not reach a security agreement with Russia without the support of Europeans and Ukrainians. The United States also does not intend to grant Russia veto powers over European security issues.