Misinterpretation Row Clouds US-Russia Peace Efforts Ahead of Alaska Summit

Source: EU Today

Confusion continues to surround the forthcoming United States–Russia summit on Ukraine, scheduled for 15 August in Alaska, following allegations that US special envoy Steve Witkoff misinterpreted key elements of the Russian position during talks with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

The meeting, announced earlier this week by Presidents Donald Trump and Putin, is intended to explore ways to end hostilities. However, accounts from European and Ukrainian officials, reported in Bild and corroborated by other sources, indicate that Moscow has not altered its core demands since early 2022. These include the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the four occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, alongside recognition of Russian control over Crimea.

It had been suggested in earlier US briefings that Russia was prepared to withdraw from parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in exchange for Ukrainian forces leaving parts of the Donetsk region. However, according to Bild, this was the result of a misunderstanding. In reality, Putin reportedly called for Ukraine to withdraw entirely from all four regions, without offering reciprocal territorial concessions.

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The misinterpretation attributed to Witkoff has prompted criticism in Kyiv and in several European capitals. Ukrainian officials have described his handling of the talks as “unprofessional”, alleging that he conveyed an overly optimistic account of Moscow’s stance to President Trump. Some German government representatives are said to share this view.

A conference call on Thursday between Witkoff, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice-President JD Vance, and European counterparts reportedly reinforced the perception of disorganisation within the US negotiating team. Observers noted apparent divisions: Rubio emphasised involving European partners in the process, while Vance and Witkoff appeared to favour limiting European participation to post-factum briefings.



Read more: https://eutoday.net/misinterpretation-ahead-of-alaska-summit/

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This new twist to the preparations for the Alaska summit has been picked up by a number of outlets, all referencing the Bild story.

To describe Witkoff as "unprofessional" and mention "disorganisation" in the US negotiating team is being overly generous.

European parties to the current pre-summit talks had to repeatedly press Witkoff to clarify what Putin had actually offered. They received three versions in a relatively short space of time, according to the Wall Street Journal:



This adds to the controversy around my earlier LBN post: https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143509933

It also places in context Trump's sinister warning a couple of days ago that Zelensky "better be prepared to sign something" (notwithstanding that the Ukrainian Constitution wouldn't allow Zelensky to sign away its land without a formal referendum - obviously all but impossible to organize while hostilities rage, even if it had any chance of being agreed by the electorate, which seems unlikely given past polling).