Top Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov told state media on Wednesday that Russian and U.S. officials did not discuss the White House’s latest plan to end the war in Ukraine during talks in Abu Dhabi the day before, as President Donald Trump said he would send his special envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow to present the peace proposal to Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
“No, the peace plan was not discussed in Abu Dhabi,” Ushakov told state media. He said Moscow had received the newest U.S. draft but that “the peace plan hasn’t been discussed with anyone in detail at all.”
Ushakov said “some aspects” of the proposal “can be viewed positively,” but added that “many require special discussions between experts.” He also argued that it was “completely unnecessary” for European officials to be involved in the process.
According to the Kremlin adviser, the Abu Dhabi meeting focused instead on practical security issues, including potential prisoner exchanges, and involved Ukrainian and Russian security officials.
Those talks also included U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who held separate meetings with Russian delegates as a follow-up to weekend discussions in Geneva between U.S. and Ukrainian officials.
Driscoll emerged upbeat from that meeting, with his spokesman saying that the talks “are going well and we remain optimistic.”
Ushakov also confirmed on Wednesday that Witkoff, who has for months engaged in shuttle diplomacy between the Kremlin and the White House, and other Trump administration officials were expected to visit Moscow next week.
Trump had said the day before that he was sending Witkoff to meet Putin and deliver a list of provisions negotiated between U.S. and Ukrainian officials, insisting the sides were “close” to a deal despite having made similar claims repeatedly in recent months.
He also expressed hope to meet “soon” with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, “but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages.”
Trump has renewed his push to end the nearly four-year war after efforts stalled following his August summit with Putin in Alaska. Last week, he gave Ukraine a Nov. 27 deadline to accept an initial U.S. plan widely viewed as favoring Moscow, though that pressure appeared to ease after the Geneva talks.
The original 28-point draft has since been cut to roughly 20 points. ABC News reported Tuesday that Ukraine has agreed to the revised framework, citing a U.S. official who said only “minor details” remained before the plan could be formally presented.
The latest version of the draft, which has not been released to the public, is “significantly better” for Kyiv than the original U.S. one, a senior official familiar with the matter told AFP.
It remains unclear whether Putin will accept the revisions. Kremlin officials said earlier this week that the original 28-point plan contained “main provisions” they viewed as acceptable, while stressing it required “further reworking.”
Moscow rejected a competing peace proposal drafted by European leaders, who were blindsided by Washington’s plan and sought to offer an alternative more closely aligned with Kyiv’s priorities.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov said Tuesday that officials in Kyiv were pushing for a meeting between Zelensky and Trump “at the earliest possible date in November to finalize the remaining stages and reach an agreement” to end the war.
The two presidents last saw each other in Washington in October, with media reports suggesting that Trump had pressed the Ukrainian leader to accept Russia’s terms for ending the war.
Zelensky, who had hoped to secure Tomahawk missiles to strike deep into Russia during that visit, described the meeting with Trump as “frank.”
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that Zelensky last met with Trump in August. Their most recent meeting was in October. AFP contributed reporting.
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