US names Donbas as main obstacle to peace negotiations
Photo: Kushner and Witkoff in Kyiv (Getty Images)
US Special Envoy Jared Kushner stated that Washington has already prepared the main part of an agreement to end the war in Ukraine. According to him, the main obstacle remains Kyiv's unwillingness to agree to the territorial demands of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
During the annual YES forum in Kyiv, Kushner noted that Putin has already defined the boundaries of the territories Russia seeks to obtain.
The representative of the American administration stated that if Ukraine wanted to retreat to that line, they would already have the rest of the agreement assembled, but Ukraine did not want to do so at that time.
At the same time, Kushner emphasized that the task of mediators is to find a solution that would allow freezing the conflict. In his view, the territorial issue should be resolved taking into account the situation on the battlefield.
Kushner also stated that, in his assessment, both Kyiv and Moscow seek an end to the war. He said that it is now necessary to find the "right formula" that would suit all participants in the process.
Separately, Kushner said that the American side is trying to create conditions for the cessation of hostilities.
Context of the statement
According to Davyd Arakhamia, one of the members of the negotiation team, Russia could return to the negotiation process regarding the end of the war as early as October. An important factor for this will be the elections to the State Duma, which are scheduled to take place in September.
Meanwhile, a source cited by RBC-Ukraine reported that the efforts of Witkoff and Kushner could lead to an energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia this winter. The main argument from the American side was that in previous winters, Russia failed to achieve its objectives.
