Moscow, 23 December (H.S.): Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed weekend negotiations in Miami between Russian and US officials on resolving the Ukraine conflict as merely a working process rather than a breakthrough, emphasizing Moscow's intent to scrutinize American consultations with European and Ukrainian counterparts before advancing further.
The discussions, spanning December 20-21 and now approaching the war's four-year mark, involved US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff engaging separately with Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev, Ukrainian delegates led by Rustem Umerov, and European security advisers including Jared Kushner.
Miami Dialogues Unfold
US officials conducted parallel meetings in Miami, Florida, centered on President Donald Trump's 20-point peace framework, which encompasses territorial adjustments, multilateral security guarantees, a dedicated US assurance mechanism for Kyiv, and an economic reconstruction blueprint for Ukraine.
Witkoff hailed the sessions as productive and constructive, spotlighting alignment on timelines and sequencing for subsequent steps, while Dmitriev—head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund—described them as constructive upon departing, though he offered no specifics.
Peskov, speaking to Izvestia on Tuesday, stressed that expert-level deliberations would persist in a meticulous vein, with Russia prioritizing insights into Washington's prior engagements in Berlin to gauge compatibility.
Echoes of Anchorage Summit
Peskov invoked the spirit of Anchorage as the benchmark, referencing the August 15, 2025, summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska where Trump and Putin explored similar parameters without yielding a formal pact.
That three-hour encounter, attended by figures like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, concluded with pledges to sustain expert channels amid Trump's hints at Ukrainian territorial concessions, though core Russian demands on security balance in Europe endured unchanged.
Moscow views the Miami exchanges as preparatory, rejecting any portrayal as pivotal amid persistent divides over occupied lands and guarantees.
Lingering Obstacles Persist
Key flashpoints—territorial control, NATO assurances, and post-war rebuilding—remain unresolved, with European amendments to the US plan drawing Kremlin ire for introducing untenable conditions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy anticipates a briefing from his team post-Miami, signaling Kyiv's wariness despite the diplomatic thaw. As channels stay open, Peskov underscored no dramatic shifts, framing the process as incremental amid the conflict's protracted toll.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
