Trump envoy praises Putin as US-Ukraine talks resume in Saudi Arabia

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American and Ukrainian negotiators in Saudi Arabia were scheduled to meet on Sunday for a second round of negotiations aimed at ending the Russian war in Ukraine, where Kiev’s confidence in Washington was tested again by the Trump administration.

On Friday, Steve Whittkov, the US President’s Special Envoy of Russia, echoed the Kermlin dialogue points from Ukraine and said that he “loved” Russian President Vladimir Putin and considered him “very smart” after meeting him in Moscow this month.

“I do not consider Putin a bad young man,” Witkev said in a podcast with the right -wing media personality Taker Karlson on Friday night. Witkoff falsely described the Russian -occupied lands in Ukraine as wanting to join Russia and rejected European security efforts after the war as “a position and placed.”

Wittakov said that Washington’s goal in peace talks is to secure “a 30 -day ceasefire, and during that time we are discussing a permanent ceasefire.” But Kiev has already accused Moscow of violating its pledge of stopping the attacks on the energy infrastructure.

The Kremlin did not immediately comment on the Witkoff interview, but the supporting voices of the government welcomed it.

Margarita Simonian, Editor -in -Chief of Russian propaganda broadcaster RT, wrote about a telegram that “the main message from Trump Ukraine’s policy” is to recognize Russia’s regional demands.

Sunday discussions are described with Ukrainian officials, followed by the United States talks on Monday, as “artistic” instead of a high level, according to Washington official.

Ukrainian officials said they will focus on possible ceasefire methods – including how to monitor and apply them – as well as energy and marine issues.

Ukraine Minister of Defense Rosstam Omrov will lead his country’s delegation, which includes Pavlue Palisa, a presidential military advisor, foreign policy consultant, Air Chevkva, and many military officers, according to the Presidential Office.

The US official said that the American delegation will be led by Andrew Beck, from the National Security Council, and Michael Anton, head of policy planning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On Sunday talks are following a meeting in Jeddah on March 11, after which Ukraine said it is ready to accept an American proposal for a 30 -day ceasefire.

In response, Washington said that it would resume delivering weapons and ammunition to Kiev and ended its suspension of the intelligence that was cut after Trump considered a dust with President Voludimir Zellinsky at the White House last month-a Ukrainian step seen as vital to the continuation of the front operations.

The American proposal was announced in a joint statement several hours after the discussions. But this plan did not support Putin, who told Trump in a phone call on Tuesday that he was only ready to refrain from the amazing Ukrainian energy infrastructure for 30 days.

Ukrainian officials say that Russia has not lived up to the level of the promise, as its air attacks continued daily since the leadership of the leaders. The attacks – Zelenskyy said on Sunday morning 1,100 unmanned aircraft, 1580 guided air bombs and 15 different missiles – targeted a civil infrastructure in cities throughout Ukraine.

Russian drones attacked the Ukrainian capital on Saturday night, killing at least three people and raising fires in several residential blocks.

On Friday, Odesa also targeted one of the largest Russian drone attacks for the war, as regional officials said that strikes had led to powerful power discounts.

Czech President Peter Paville, who was visiting Odessa and took a train to Kiev just 20 minutes before the drone attack, said the strikes confirmed the challenge of negotiating with Russia.

“One must be really satiated when declaring will to obtain peace negotiations or negotiations on the ceasefire, and at the same time to launch a massive attack on civil infrastructure,” he told reporters. “It is very difficult to deal with such a party.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused Ukraine of trying to disrupt peace negotiations by hitting the oil depot in the Krasnodar area and the gas station in Soda, a town in the Russian Korsk region, which was recently restored by Russian forces. Kyiv blamed Moscow for a blacksmithing attack.

“These measures show an unwillingness to reach any agreement and the unwillingness to peace,” said Maria Zakharova, Maria Zakharova, on Saturday.

Moscow also depicts on Monday talks with the United States as a low -level technical meeting to discuss the safe passage of ships in the Black Sea.

Her delegation will consist of Grigory Karasin, a professional diplomat and chairman of the International Affairs Committee in the Alawite parliament of Parliament, and Sergei Beseda, Advisor to the President of the FSB.