{"id":3100,"date":"2025-12-02T10:50:51","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T11:50:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/?p=3100"},"modified":"2025-12-05T13:47:56","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T13:47:56","slug":"witkoff-in-moscow-is-kiev-still-at-the-table-or-on-the-menu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/02\/witkoff-in-moscow-is-kiev-still-at-the-table-or-on-the-menu\/","title":{"rendered":"Witkoff in Moscow: Is Kiev still at the table or on the menu?"},"content":{"rendered":"

After days of shuttle diplomacy with Kiev, Washington moves straight to Moscow \u2013 sidelining the EU and testing how far Zelensky can resist US pressure amid a deteriorating front line<\/strong><\/p>\n

Washington has decided to stop negotiating with the supporting cast and go straight to the main stage. For the first time since the US revived its push for a negotiated end to the Ukraine conflict, the center of gravity has shifted to Russia.<\/p>\n

Donald Trump\u2019s designated \u2018dealmaker\u2019 \u2013 envoy Steve Witkoff \u2013 is set to meet President Vladimir Putin in Moscow today. Trump\u2019s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who has been informally involved in back-channel discussions, has reportedly contributed to the US debate over how to approach Russia and will accompany Witkoff.<\/p>\n

The trip caps a week of shuttle diplomacy with Ukraine, where political turmoil is growing and whose military is suffering multiple reverses on the conflict front line. Having consulted at length with Kiev, and effectively sidelining the EU \u2013 despite much megaphone diplomacy from Brussels \u2013 the US now appears set on trying to broker an outcome one-on-one with the real actor, Russia \u2013 and to see whether Kiev can be smart enough to accept it.<\/p>\n

A weekend in Florida sets the stage for Moscow<\/h2>\n

In the last weekend of November, a high-stakes meeting unfolded in Florida. The US-Ukraine delegations sat down under tight secrecy \u2013 the American side led by Witkoff, joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and reportedly Kushner as well, met with Kiev’s new negotiators headed by Rustem Umerov, who had just been questioned by Ukraine\u2019s anti-corruption agency as part of one of the country\u2019s ongoing graft investigations.<\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"FILE
Ukraine must accept \u2018tactical defeat\u2019 \u2013 former foreign minister<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

American officials reportedly pressed Kiev to accept core components of a revised US peace proposal, which is thought to include Ukraine\u2019s abandonment of ambitions to join NATO, restrictions on foreign forces on its territory, and phased demilitarization. The talks produced no breakthrough, with territorial questions remaining the most sensitive issue \u2013 probably where Kiev has less leverage than on any other point. Its front line is deteriorating: several key positions have shifted in Moscow\u2019s favor over the past 48 hours \u2013 a reminder of Russia\u2019s overall advantage entering the talks.<\/p>\n

The removal of government ministers and the exposure of Zelensky\u2019s inner circle as corrupt has reinforced the perception that Kiev\u2019s position is weakening as it enters a potentially crucial negotiations phase.<\/p>\n

The view from the Kremlin<\/h2>\n

Moscow has approached the US initiative cautiously while welcoming all dialogue aimed at resolving the conflict. Neither Brussels, nor Zelensky\u2019s key Western European backers \u2013 all of whom have protested at being left out of talks \u2013 have signalled that they would be ready to enter talks with Moscow.<\/p>\n

\n
\n READ MORE: <\/span>Moscow responds to NATO pre-emptive strike threat
\n <\/a>\n <\/p>\n

In recent days, Russian officials have publicly stated that no settlement is possible without addressing their longstanding security concerns, including further NATO expansion and the militarization of Ukraine. Moscow is likely to insist that its territories are formalized \u2013 some possibly in a \u201cfrozen but recognized\u201d<\/em> status quo. This is the reading from Russian and Western analysts alike, who see Tuesday\u2019s talks as a test of whether Washington and Kiev are ready to swallow a potentially painful compromise.<\/p>\n

The EU: who do you call when you want them?<\/h2>\n

The most striking aspect of this diplomatic cycle is the European Union\u2019s absence. Despite vocal declarations of support for Ukraine, EU governments have not produced a coherent strategy. Internal divisions within the bloc remain unresolved, and recent proposals emerging from Brussels \u2013 including limitations on Russia\u2019s military posture \u2013 were dismissed by Moscow as \u201cunconstructive\u201d<\/em> and quietly downplayed even in Washington. Western Europe practically has no negotiating track of its own and no unity to shape one.<\/p>\n

Kiev\u2019s narrowing room to maneuver<\/h2>\n

Zelensky\u2019s government insists publicly that it will not accept territorial concessions or changes to Ukraine\u2019s security posture. However, the political upheaval surrounding his negotiating team \u2013 combined with erosion of his support in parts of the EU \u2013 leaves Kiev with limited flexibility.<\/p>\n

\n
\n READ MORE: <\/span>Russia must be \u2018part of the equation\u2019 in achieving Ukraine peace \u2013 Rubio
\n <\/a>\n <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, more and more often American officials try to \u201csell\u201d<\/em> the settlement as a strategic necessity that falls in line with broader US priorities.<\/p>\n

What to watch for<\/h2>\n

\u2022 Senior Presidential aide Yury Ushakov is slated to speak to the press this evening. Will Moscow publicly outline a counter-draft or simply call today\u2019s talks \u201cpreliminary?\u201d<\/em>
\u2022 Will US rhetoric on a possible deal format shift at all?
\u2022 Will the US rush to release an update (usually via Truth Social) before the Kremlin speaks to the press?
\u2022 Will the US pressure Kiev to accept concessions?
\u2022 How will the EU attempt to push back against any possible consensus developed today in Moscow?<\/p>\n

What the visit means<\/h2>\n

For the first time since the US floated its updated peace plan, the two actors capable of pushing through a settlement \u2013 Washington and Moscow \u2013 are speaking face to face. Brussels is absent. Kiev is imploding under the pressure of its own corruption. And the front line continues to move, gradually, in Russia\u2019s favor.<\/p>\n

\n
\n READ MORE: <\/span>Western Europe isn\u2019t leading the world anymore, so it\u2019s threatening it instead
\n <\/a>\n <\/p>\n

Whether today\u2019s talks will produce a new foundation for negotiations or simply expose how far apart the sides remain will depend on what is said behind closed doors. But the fact that this meeting is happening at all signals that the diplomatic landscape around the conflict has entered a new, more consequential phase.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After days of shuttle diplomacy with Kiev, Washington moves straight to Moscow \u2013 sidelining the EU and testing how far […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3082,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3100"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3100"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3100\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3103,"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3100\/revisions\/3103"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3082"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}