…Although the exact make-up of the meetings on Sunday & Monday have not been made public, a #US official said #Trump envoy #SteveWitkoff & son-in-law #JaredKushner were travelling to Germany for talks involving Ukrainians & Europeans.

The choice to send Witkoff, who has led negotiations with #Ukraine & #Russia on a US “peace” proposal, appeared to be a signal that Washington sees a chance of “progress”….

#WarProfiteering #kleptocracy #geopolitics #Europe #war #StandWithUkraine

Russian sources said earlier this year that #Putin wants a "written" pledge by major Western powers not to enlarge the [formerly] #US-led #NATO alliance eastwards - shorthand for formally ruling out membership to #Ukraine, #Georgia, #Moldova & other former Soviet republics.

#geopolitics #Europe #Russia #war #StandWithUkraine

Russian President Vladimir #Putin has repeatedly demanded that #Ukraine officially renounce its #NATO ambitions & withdraw #troops from the about 10% of #Donbas which Kyiv still controls. Moscow has also said that Ukraine must be a neutral country & that no NATO troops can be stationed in Ukraine.

#geopolitics #Europe #US #Russia #war #StandWithUkraine

"Thus, today, bilateral #security guarantees between #Ukraine & the #US, Article 5-like guarantees for us from the US, & security guarantees from European colleagues, as well as other countries — #Canada, #Japan — are an opportunity to prevent another Russian invasion," #Zelensky said.

"And it is already a compromise from our part," he said, adding that the security guarantees should be legally binding.

#geopolitics #Europe #Russia #war #StandWithUkraine

#Zelensky said on Sunday that the #US, #Europe & other partners' #security guarantees instead of #NATO membership were a compromise on #Ukraine's side.

"From the very beginning, Ukraine's desire was to join NATO, these are real security guarantees. Some partners from the US & Europe did not support this direction," he said in answer to questions from reporters in a WhatsApp chat.

#geopolitics #Russia #war #StandWithUkraine

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Ukraine's #Zelensky ditches #NATO ambition ahead of peace talks

The move marks a major shift for #Ukraine, which has fought to join NATO as a safeguard against #Russia attacks & has such an aspiration included in its #constitution. It also meets one of Russia's #war aims, although Kyiv has so far held firm against ceding #territory to Moscow.

#geopolitics #StandWithUkraine
reuters.com/world/europe/zelen…