Putin's administration is demanding that the U.S. stop providing aid to Ukraine
The Kremlin stated that the U.S. must completely cease its aid to Ukraine if it wants a quicker end to the war. This demand was voiced by Vladimir Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov. At the same time, Moscow confirmed that during a phone call between Putin and Donald Trump on September 8, they discussed the war against Ukraine, but the Russian side did not report any specific agreements.
Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian president, stated that Washington must cease all aid to Kyiv. In his view, this would allegedly allow for a quicker resolution of the war. “The U.S. must cease all aid to Kyiv in order to resolve the war in Ukraine as quickly as possible,” Ushakov said.
Thus, the Kremlin wants the United States to completely cease its support for Ukraine. This means rejecting further American initiatives and aid to Kyiv. Ushakov also noted that, in his assessment, American support for Ukraine has noticeably decreased since Donald Trump took office. However, this is not enough for Moscow.
According to Ushakov, the Russian authorities expect Washington to further change its policy toward Ukraine.
The Kremlin provided details on the conversation between Putin and Trump
Ushakov also commented on the phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump that took place on September 8. According to him, the presidents discussed ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. At the same time, Putin’s aide did not specify whether the parties managed to agree on any concrete steps.
In other words, the Russian side confirmed that Ukraine was discussed but did not report any new agreements between Moscow and Washington. Separately, Ushakov stated that U.S. representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner did not present Russia with a roadmap regarding Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously spoken about such a roadmap.
Moscow has named a venue for a new meeting
According to Ushakov, Russia currently considers Abu Dhabi the preferred location for a new meeting on Ukraine. The Russian side has repeatedly spoken of the need to continue negotiations. However, the mere fact that they are ready for a new meeting does not yet mean that the parties have agreed on its date, format, or agenda.
So far, Moscow has not announced a specific plan for the next round of talks.
Lavrov noted a positive signal from the Trump administration
The day before, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also commented on the Trump administration’s position regarding the negotiation process. He stated that the Russian government views Washington’s new approach positively. According to Lavrov, the U.S. team has reportedly begun to take greater account of what Moscow calls “realities on the ground.” “This, of course, elicits a positive response from us and makes us willing to continue talks with them,” Lavrov said.
However, the Russian minister did not report that any specific agreement had been reached on ending the war. The statements by Ushakov and Lavrov indicate that Moscow wants to maintain contact with the Trump administration. At the same time, the Kremlin insists on an end to U.S. support for Ukraine, which remains one of the Russian side’s key demands.
The Kremlin stated that it currently has neither a formalized program nor a “roadmap” for ending the war against Ukraine that Russia started.
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