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Russian President Vladimir Putin began a key meeting with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner to discuss a peace plan to end the war in Ukraine.
Russian President's aide Yuri Ushakov and Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev are also present in the meeting on Tuesday evening (local time). https://x.com/mfa_russia/status/1995910956107366786?s=20 Earlier, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that there is no clear time limit for the meeting; it will last "as long as necessary," TASS reported. Washington has circulated a 28-point peace proposal that was revised after pushback from Kyiv and European capitals, which criticised the initial draft for appearing too accommodating to Moscow's conditions. The meetings come hours after Vladimir Putin stated Moscow is ready for a military confrontation if European nations choose escalation, accusing European governments of blocking diplomatic efforts on Ukraine. Speaking at an investment forum in Moscow, Putin stated, "We are not planning to go to war with Europe, but if Europe wants to and starts, we are ready right now." He claimed European leaders are no longer prioritising negotiations and are instead backing continued hostilities in Ukraine. Putin argued that European countries are putting forward demands related to the conflict that Russia cannot accept. He further accused Europe of obstructing initiatives by the United States and President Donald Trump to pursue a negotiated settlement. According to Putin, "They are on the side of war," referring to European positions on the conflict. Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with a Ukrainian delegation led by the head of Kyiv's National Security and Defence Council, Rustem Umerov over the peace proposal. Rubio said that the discussions were "productive" but that there is "more work to be done". "This is delicate. It's complicated," he said, as per Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, Ukraine struck two tankers belonging to Russia's so-called shadow fleet in the Black Sea on Friday and Saturday. A security source confirmed that Sea Baby maritime drones were used in a joint operation involving Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) and its navy. Russia has not issued any immediate response. (ANI)
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