Kremlin aide expects direct US-Russia contact soon on Ukraine plan

ISTANBUL

Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said on Monday that Washington is expected to reach out to Moscow “soon” to discuss the US-drafted peace plan for Ukraine in person, while stressing that no concrete arrangements for such talks have yet been finalized.

Speaking to reporters in Moscow, Ushakov said Russia has received “signals” from the US about possible contacts but has not been given any formal proposal on who would travel to Moscow or when discussions might begin.

“I would assume that it is natural to expect the US to contact us for an in-person meeting and begin discussions,” he said, as quoted by the state-run Tass news agency.

“But there is no definitive agreement yet. We have not received a specific proposal about who intends to come and when.”

Ushakov said “much speculation” continues to surround the US plan and its reported variants, noting that Moscow trusts only information delivered directly through official channels.

“Mr. Rubio said the Geneva talks with the Ukrainians were satisfactory, and he mentioned 28 points, and also 26 points. There is a lot being circulated. It is unclear who to believe,” he said. “But we believe what we saw, what was conveyed to us through the appropriate channels.”

He confirmed that Russia is familiar with one version of the US proposal that aligns with understandings reached during the Alaska talks earlier this year.

“Not all, but many provisions of this plan seem entirely acceptable to us,” Ushakov said, adding that other elements require detailed, formal negotiations.

“There are currently 28 points. These provisions require the most thorough discussion between the parties, and this has not yet happened.”

Asked whether the current draft should be made public, Ushakov emphasized that the document remains under multilateral review and is likely to undergo revisions by all sides involved.

“This is a very serious matter,” he said, stressing that the content has not been discussed with Russia in a structured way.

– Concerns over plan

The 28-point US plan to end the over three-and-a-half-year war is on the table in Geneva, where representatives of Washington, Kyiv, and European capitals met to discuss details.

Trump said Saturday that the US-drafted plan would not be his “final offer,” as the proposal has sparked concerns in Kyiv and among its allies.

The draft appears to require Ukraine to surrender additional territory to Russia, limit the size of its military, and formally abandon its bid to join NATO. Trump has given his Ukrainian counterpart until Thursday to respond.

Zelenskyy said he faces a tough choice: either the “loss of our dignity or the risk of losing a key partner.”

On Saturday, the leaders of nine European countries plus Japan, Canada, and top EU officials expressed concern over the plan’s proposed limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces, warning that they “would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack.”

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