Ukrainian negotiators have approached US President Donald Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with an initiative to hold a new face-to-face round of consultations. Brussels or another European city, where the European Council meeting is scheduled to take place in the coming days, is being suggested as a possible venue for the dialogue.
Context and Agenda of the European Summit
A key meeting of the European Council is scheduled in the Belgian capital this week, during which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to be personally present. The Ukrainian side intends to use this format to combine European diplomatic tracks with direct discussions of peace initiatives with American representatives.
Discussion of Energy Truce and Peace Steps
The main topic of a potential meeting in Brussels could be a detailed discussion of practical steps towards conflict de-escalation. In particular, Ukrainian negotiators have confirmed their readiness to substantively discuss the concept of the so-called "energy truce," aimed at stopping strikes on critical infrastructure.
Contradictory Data
While Kyiv is actively seeking new formats for contacts with the Trump team and proposing Brussels as a negotiating venue, information is circulating in the media space that a parallel visit by Witkoff and Kushner to Moscow was allegedly postponed. According to a number of observers, the delay in the trip to Russia may be due to the lack of a sufficient package of guarantees or specific proposals from the American emissaries that Moscow would consider acceptable for the US administration to fulfill.
Prospects and US Side's Reaction
Experts note that any contacts involving Witkoff and Kushner are of an extremely sensitive nature for future settlement. Earlier, leading Western publications citing Axios reported that the American envoys intend to conduct a pragmatic dialogue with both Kyiv and other involved parties to reduce tensions.
