In a significant development, Ukrainian authorities have outlined potential concessions to halt Russia’s ongoing invasion, following extensive discussions with senior U.S. diplomats. These deliberations, which unfolded over several hours, are set to inform a diplomatic mission to Moscow, where demands will be formally presented. This comes just ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Steve Witkoff, a special envoy appointed by former President Trump, scheduled for Tuesday. Notably, Jared Kushner, who is Trump’s son-in-law, is accompanying Witkoff to Moscow on Monday, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal.

Witkoff and Kushner have emerged as pivotal figures in this renewed diplomatic push by the U.S. They, alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, engaged with key Ukrainian leaders over the past weekend in Hallandale Beach, Florida. This meeting, strategically located near the residences of Witkoff, Kushner, and Trump—and within Rubio’s home turf—was a marathon session lasting approximately four hours. It delved into numerous aspects of the Ukrainian desire to conclude the protracted conflict, now nearing its fourth year. Central to the discussions was the revision of a U.S.-crafted proposal initially developed in talks between Washington and Moscow, previously criticized for being overly advantageous to Russia.

The recent negotiations broached pivotal issues such as potential land swaps between Russia and Ukraine, according to a senior U.S. official cited by the Wall Street Journal. Another critical topic was the timing of Ukrainian elections, with the U.S. official revealing that both parties explored possible schedules for future elections. While President Volodymyr Zelensky’s term is set to conclude in 2024, Ukrainian law prohibits elections during wartime. Numerous details remain unresolved, including the specifics of any land exchanges, the international recognition of new borders, and the security assurances necessary for Ukraine’s stability.

Following the discussions on Sunday, Trump said there is a ‘good chance’ a deal could be struck and the war could soon come to a close. However, Trump has signaled for months that a deal is imminent, even after his August meeting with Putin in Alaska, though actual progress has been slow and contentious. The Kushner-Witkoff duo dealt directly with Putin’s negotiator Kirill Dmitriev in Florida last month, where they developed the initial version of the 28-point plan. Though the plan caught some flak, it was later adjusted in Geneva between top US and Ukrainian officials, including Zelensky’s top negotiator Andriy Yermak, the president’s now-ex chief of staff.

Yermak (pictured) resigned after anti-corruption investigators raided his home and offices in connection with the ongoing probe last week. The scandal has cast a shadow over the current regime’s position in the negotiations. Zelensky has signaled a willingness to go along with US-led negotiations with Russia as some chaos has gripped his administration. Putin has ostensibly acted the same, showing an openness to the wind-down of the conflict that has claimed the lives of an estimated 300,000 soldiers. Still, Russia and Ukraine have been relentlessly exchanging blows.

‘When Ukrainian troops leave the territories they hold, then the fighting will stop,’ Putin said recently. ‘If they don’t, then we’ll achieve that through military means.’ A Russian missile strike around midday on Monday killed four people and wounded 40 others, 11 in critical condition, in the eastern city of Dnipro, according to the head of regional administration Vladyslav Haivanenko. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday condemned Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure over the weekend, including an attack on an oil terminal owned by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, CPC, and another that targeted two tankers in Turkish waters.