Multiple private discussions between the U.S. and Russia, and the U.S. and Ukraine, are reported to have taken place in the last few days, in the wake of the Dec. 20-21 talks between U.S. President Donald Trump’s representatives (Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, et al.) and Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Two things are known about the content of those talks: that the United States and Russian Presidents may well speak again by telephone in the coming days; and that Ukraine’s acting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Trump in Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, Dec. 28. As of now, Zelenskyy will not be accompanied by his European handlers.
The possibility of a Putin-Trump phone call was first raised (publicly) by Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Dec. 24. None is currently scheduled between the two Presidents, he said, but one could be arranged quickly, if needed. Peskov told Russia’s Vedomosti newspaper that “Christmas holidays are coming up, in fact, they have already started. Life there slows down during this time. But if need be, we have the ability to arrange [a conversation] quite promptly,” TASS reported.
Then today, President Trump told Politico that he expects to speak with the Russian President, “soon, as much as I want.”
Today, addressing the status of U.S.-Russian talks on Ukraine after the Dec. 20-21 talks, Peskov told reporters succinctly that “it has been agreed to continue the dialogue,” TASS reported. According to Reuters, Peskov also reported today that President Putin’s foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov had spoken by telephone to “several members” of the Trump administration; no further details were reported as to when, with whom, or the content.
