Russia Trump sees "good chance" of Ukraine deal
US President Donald Trump has expressed optimism after talks between representatives of Ukraine and his government on ways to end the war in Ukraine.
01.12.2025, 02:57
SDA
While he spoke of good prospects for a compromise peace solution, his Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, who was involved in the latest negotiations, sees "still a lot to do". German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) was cautiously optimistic: "We are now entering a decisive week", he said on the ARD program "Bericht aus Berlin".
Trump once again expressed his conviction that both Russia and Ukraine wanted an end to the war. "I think there's a good chance we can make a deal," he said on board the presidential plane Air Force One. Wadephul made similar comments on ARD: "I am cautiously optimistic that there is now a real chance that there will be a ceasefire and that there can be negotiations on an equal footing," he said there.
Trump also mentioned that his special envoy Steve Witkoff was to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow this week. He did not give an exact date. However, several US media outlets reported that Witkoff plans to travel to Russia this Monday.
Ukraine speaks of progress, but gives no details
The Ukrainian head of delegation, Rustem Umjerow, announced on Telegram in the evening that he had reported to President Volodymyr Selenskyj on the latest talks in Florida. "We have made significant progress in promoting a dignified peace and bringing our positions closer to the American side. Our main goals - security, sovereignty and reliable peace - remain unchanged and are shared by the American side." Umyerev expected further consultations on the agreement of a joint framework decision.
Selensky wrote on Telegram that he was grateful to the USA, Trump's team and the President personally for the time "that was invested so intensively in defining steps to end the war". It was important that "the talks were constructive and all issues were discussed openly and with the aim of preserving Ukraine's sovereignty and national interests".
Despite the confidence expressed, Umjerow also agreed with Rubio's assessment that there was still a lot of work to be done. The US Secretary of State himself attended the meeting with the Ukrainian delegation in the state of Florida on Sunday. Neither Rubio nor Umjerov elaborated on the exact substantive aspects on which progress was made and where there were still problems.
Putin praised earlier draft
An initial 28-point US plan for an end to the war recently became public through media reports, which was widely criticized as a "Russian wish list" and an affront to Kiev. Europeans and Ukrainians later renegotiated the draft agreement with US representatives, but several points remained controversial.
Putin had praised the first US plan and described it as a basis for possible peace negotiations. Following the latest negotiations in the USA, Rubio emphasized that much was in motion. In addition, another party would have to be included - which obviously meant Russia. This will happen in the coming days when Witkoff visits Moscow, Rubio said.
Russia began its war of aggression against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, in violation of international law. Since then, the neighboring country has been defending itself against the invaders with the help of Western supporters. Despite talks about a possible peace solution, Russia continues to attack Ukraine with undiminished ferocity. Conversely, the Ukrainian army is also attacking targets in Russia as part of its defensive campaign, although the casualty figures and damage there are nowhere near as devastating as in Ukraine.
