Yuriy Ushakov, Assistant to the President of Russia, publicly stated that Moscow considers a complete abandonment by Washington of any form of support for Kyiv necessary for the 'earliest possible settlement' in Ukraine. In his words, it is precisely the cessation of American aid that, by the Kremlin's logic, should open the way to a faster end to the conflict. The statement came against the backdrop of a reduction in the volume of US support for Ukraine following Donald Trump's assumption of office; however, as Ushakov emphasized, even this, in the Kremlin's assessment, is not enough — Moscow is demanding that the White House abandon all possible initiatives in favor of Kyiv.
September 8 phone call and the roadmap question
Commenting on the outcome of the telephone talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on September 8, Ushakov reported that the conversation concerned the settlement of the war. He did not, however, specify whether the parties had agreed on anything concrete. Separately, the Presidential Assistant confirmed that the American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner did not present Russia with a roadmap on Ukraine, which US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously mentioned. Thus, Moscow officially stated that the document referred to by Washington had not been handed over to them.
Contradictory data
A clear discrepancy between the parties' versions is noted here. On the one hand, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly spoke of the existence of a roadmap on Ukraine. On the other — Yuriy Ushakov officially confirmed that the Russian envoys Witkoff and Kushner did not show Russia such a roadmap. In other words, one side claims the existence of a document and a negotiating framework, while the other states that no such document was presented to it. This contradiction in the parties' public formulations remains unresolved and may indicate either a difference in understanding the status of the document, or that the roadmap was discussed at the State Department level but was not passed on to the Russian negotiators.
Abu Dhabi as the priority venue and Lavrov's reaction
Against this backdrop, Ushakov stated that Moscow is currently considering Abu Dhabi as the priority venue for a new meeting on the Ukrainian settlement. The day before, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declared that the Kremlin 'views with approval' the new US approach to the peace process, citing the fact that, in his words, the Trump team is 'taking into account the realities on the ground.' In his phrasing, this elicits a 'positive response' from Moscow and a readiness to continue talks with the American side.
Context and limitations of assessment
All the formulations cited are statements by Russian officials and are disseminated through Russian and Ukrainian media (including 'Vesti' citing RBC-Ukraine, as well as 5-tv, osnmedia and life.ru). The specific agreements, if any were reached during the September 8 phone call, were not disclosed publicly. Thus, what remains publicly confirmed is only the fact of the statements themselves and Moscow's position on the necessity of halting American aid to Ukraine as a condition for settlement, as well as the choice of Abu Dhabi as the priority venue for further contacts.
