Russia has resumed diplomatic contacts with the United States after reviewing a revised 20-point peace plan on Ukraine, modified by Kyiv and its European allies, the Kremlin said on Friday, according to EFE.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the renewed engagement was established at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin, involving representatives of both administrations. On the Russian side, the talks included Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, while the US side was represented by “several interlocutors,” Peskov said.
Peskov added that Ushakov held a phone conversation with US officials, though he did not specify the date. A source familiar with the discussions told Reuters that Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin’s envoy on Ukraine, also took part. According to Peskov, Dmitriev has briefed Putin on the outcomes of his recent trip to the United States and his contacts with American counterparts.
“The Russians and the Americans have agreed to continue the dialogue,” Peskov said.
Neither Putin nor other senior Russian officials have publicly commented on the revised 20-point document presented this week by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Peskov reiterated that discussing the plan through the media could have a “negative impact on the progress of the negotiation process.”
However, independent analysts cited by EFE suggest that Moscow’s caution may conceal a rejection of the proposal. Russia had already expressed reservations about the original 28-point version, and experts argue that the revised plan fails to address key Russian demands, including territorial claims and a significant reduction in Ukraine’s armed forces.
Last week, during his annual press conference, Putin said he had never rejected a peace plan presented by US President Donald Trump, adding that “the ball is in Kyiv’s court” and that of its allies. At the same time, he reiterated calls for Ukraine’s withdrawal from Donbas and argued that respecting Russia’s security interests was the only way to prevent future Russian “special military operations” in Europe.
US outlet Axios reported on Friday that Trump is expected to host Zelensky on Sunday at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, after the Ukrainian leader said that “many things could be decided before the New Year.”
According to Zelensky, the 20-point proposal includes a Russia–Ukraine non-aggression pact overseen by a monitoring mechanism and underpinned by security guarantees. These would include maintaining a Ukrainian army of around 800,000 troops and binding commitments from the United States and other allies to provide defense equivalent to NATO’s Article 5.
On the most contentious issue—territorial concessions demanded by Russia—Zelensky acknowledged that two options are currently under discussion. Kyiv favors freezing the current front line, while a second option would involve creating one or more economic zones in parts of the Donetsk region still controlled by Ukraine but claimed by Moscow. He said this latter option could only be considered after Kyiv receives sufficient security guarantees.
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