Breakthrough in Alaska: Russia Makes Concessions in Ukraine Peace Talks
In a significant development, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff revealed that Russia made concessions “almost immediately” during a meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska. According to Witkoff, the discussions focused on achieving a long-term peace deal rather than a temporary ceasefire. The concessions were reportedly made on the part of the Russians in the first meeting in Alaska, with Witkoff noting that “part of getting those concessions was learning whether we were going to be able to see the Russians prepared to be more accommodating”.
The talks between Trump and Putin aimed to address key sticking points, including potential land swaps and security guarantees for Ukraine. Witkoff mentioned that Russia had agreed to unspecified concessions on five Ukrainian regions central to the fighting, particularly the eastern Donetsk province. The US and European allies are working toward hashing out security provisions for Ukraine under a potential peace deal, with Trump emphasizing that sending US troops to Ukraine to beef up security in the region was off the table.
In a follow-up meeting at the White House, Trump discussed various security measures with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders to prevent Russian aggression against Ukraine in the future. Zelenskyy stressed the importance of US backing on security guarantees for delivering stability to Ukraine, saying, “Security in Ukraine depends on the United States and on you and on those leaders who are with us in our hearts.” The White House press secretary stated that the president understands security guarantees are crucially important to ensure a lasting peace.
