Peace Framework Undergoes Refinement as Trump Maintains Summit Prerequisites

The evolving Ukraine peace framework continued undergoing substantial refinement as President Trump maintained specific prerequisites for his direct participation in leadership summits. Trump stated clearly that presidential meetings with Putin and Zelensky would occur only when diplomatic negotiations approach a finalized agreement.
The administration’s deployment of Steve Witkoff to Moscow for Putin discussions and Dan Driscoll to Ukrainian engagement reflects sustained high-level American commitment to the peace process. White House officials emphasize that the negotiating framework has been significantly improved through multiple rounds of consultations incorporating feedback from both conflicting parties.
Trump characterized recent diplomatic progress as substantial, pointing to what he described as tremendous advancement over the past week. The president claimed that disagreements between Russia and Ukraine have narrowed considerably, with only a few remaining points of contention separating the parties from potential agreement.
Ukrainian officials have signaled strong interest in arranging direct discussions between President Zelensky and Trump to address the most sensitive territorial issues. Ihor Brusylo, deputy chief of Zelensky’s office, emphasized that resolving territorial questions would necessarily require presidential-level engagement rather than delegation to lower-level negotiators.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov indicated that Moscow expects to receive a comprehensive formal proposal following American consultations with Ukrainian and European officials. However, Lavrov cautioned that any significant deviations from understandings reached during Trump’s earlier Alaska summit with Putin would encounter strong Kremlin resistance.