New Round of US-Russia-Ukraine Contacts Imminent, Major Differences Remain on Core Issues

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on the 27th that a US delegation would visit Moscow next week. On the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said that Ukrainian and US delegations would hold talks later this week.

With a new round of US-Russia-Ukraine contacts imminent, the peace plan for Ukraine proposed by the US has undergone multiple adjustments yet remains unclear in its details, and serious differences persist between Russia and Ukraine on many core issues. Against the backdrop of these intertwined positions, the direction of this peace mediation is attracting significant attention.

Putin announced that representatives from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Presidential Aide Medinsky, and Presidential Aide Ushakov would serve as Russia's negotiators on the Ukraine issue.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy also stated that later this week, the Ukrainian team would continue working with US representatives to advance the implementation of the outcomes of the Geneva meetings, aiming to translate them into concrete forms that lead Ukraine towards peace and security guarantees. The delegations from both sides will hold talks, and the Ukrainian delegation will be fully prepared and committed to practical work.

Putin said that before his meeting with US President Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, the US and Russia had discussed the Ukraine issue, which subsequently led to a list comprising 28 points. The Russian side is aware of several issues. Afterwards, the US and Ukraine held talks in Geneva, dividing the 28-point list into four parts. However, there is no final plan regarding the Ukraine issue yet.

Putin expressed that Russia generally considers the "list of issues on Ukraine" proposed by the United States as a potential basis for a future agreement. However, he did not specify whether this list referred to the new 28-point plan proposed by the US for ending the crisis in Ukraine or a revised version following the US-Ukraine talks in Geneva, Switzerland on the 23rd.