US engages in diplomatic talks with European countries for Ukraine peace settlement

The United States is in active discussions with several European countries, including the UK, Norway, France, and Finland, regarding a potential settlement in Ukraine, according to Steven Whitkoff, the special envoy of US President Donald Trump.

“We are negotiating with Ukraine. We are negotiating with all interested European countries. That includes France, Britain, Norway, Finland, everybody else, and we’re also negotiating with the Russians about those regions. We are also discussing all sorts of other elements that could be included in a ceasefire agreement,” he stated speaking on CNN, per Caliber.Az.

Earlier, Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin, confirmed that Putin met with Whitkoff in Moscow on March 13. Peskov said that Whitkoff conveyed information to US President Trump during this meeting, though the specifics of their conversation were not disclosed. According to White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt, Whitkoff's visit to Moscow was aimed at discussing a resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Trump later described the talks between Whitkoff and Putin as “good and productive,” emphasizing that there were “very good chances” for resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

The idea of a 30-day ceasefire was put forward by the US during discussions with Ukrainian representatives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 11. Ukraine signalled its willingness to accept the ceasefire, contingent upon Russia’s agreement to the terms.

Russian President Putin, in a statement on March 13, expressed gratitude for Trump’s involvement in the peace efforts and voiced support for the ceasefire proposal. However, Putin raised several critical issues, including the status of Ukrainian forces that had entered Russia’s Kursk region, the monitoring of the ceasefire, and the actions Ukraine would take during the ceasefire period. He stated that Moscow supported proposals for ending hostilities but emphasized that such an agreement must lead to lasting peace and address the root causes of the crisis.

On March 16, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz warned on Fox News that Washington may take action against Moscow if the Russian government does not agree to the proposed 30-day ceasefire.

By Tamilla Hasanova