Washington has asked Moscow to prepare a new proposal regarding the upcoming security agreement with Europe. According to two knowledgeable sources, the initiative must include steps by Russia to ease tensions with the continent and will be discussed during the meeting between American envoys and Vladimir Putin. Sources report that this request is planned to be delivered in Moscow by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, who, according to Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, will meet with Putin in the first half of the day on November 12.
What Exactly the US is Asking of Moscow
According to one source, Kushner and Witkoff proposed that Russia formulate a new package of proposals outlining its security concerns and demands, as well as listing "symmetric steps" that the Russian Federation is ready to take for de-escalation and to reassure Europe of no intentions to attack in the future. For years, Russia has sought to conclude a European security agreement restricting NATO enlargement and reducing the alliance's military presence in Eastern Europe. Washington previously rejected these demands, but now appears open to considering them in some form as part of a broader agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
Context: Abu Dhabi and the 2021 Letter
Russian negotiators at a meeting in Abu Dhabi, according to two knowledgeable sources, stated that Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine because then-US President Joe Biden did not respond to his 2021 letter outlining the Russian leader's security concerns. This narrative has become part of Moscow's argumentation during negotiations and highlights how the Russian side links the outbreak of the conflict to allegedly ignored security requests.
Europe's Position and Washington's Conditions
Many European governments view the Trump administration's approach with deep suspicion, and European officials see risks in linking the discussion of Europe's future security to ending the war in Ukraine. At the same time, the US has made it clear to European countries that it will not agree to a security deal with Russia unless Europe and Ukraine support it, and that it will not grant Moscow a veto over European security matters. As one source noted, "Zelenskyy is not going to agree to a deal until he knows what comes next on security guarantees, and Putin wants to know that too," which is why the security issue is key.
Diplomatic Marathon: Moscow and Dublin
Following talks in Moscow, Kushner and Witkoff are expected to travel to Dublin, where they will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday evening. The American side wants Putin to allow European representatives to join the next round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine; Washington hopes that Europe's presence at the negotiating table will make its governments more willing to discuss and coordinate a broader security agreement before the war ends. Thus, November 12 becomes a central day in the diplomatic cycle connecting Moscow, Dublin, and a European capital into a single negotiation framework.
