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Putin’s aide calls on US to pressure Ukraine over peace talks
Russian presidential aide for international affairs Yuri Ushakov said the United States has several “interesting” ideas for ending the war in Ukraine and urged Washington to put pressure on Kyiv to reach a peace agreement, according to Russian state-aligned media.
“I think the Americans could, so to speak, really exert pressure and influence Kyiv. I may reveal a secret, but this is exactly what we are calling on our American colleagues to do,” Ushakov said.
He claimed the discussion involves “implementation of agreements reached during the Russia–US summit in Alaska,” a reference that Russian officials often link to the so-called “spirit of Anchorage,” which they associate with Ukraine withdrawing forces from Donbas in exchange for a ceasefire.
Ushakov also said that proposed US ideas “have not yet been implemented,” while adding that Washington is currently focused on the situation around Iran.
He concluded by saying: “One can only wish them success, because continuing bombing is simply terrible. It must be stopped.”
Earlier reports by Ukrainian media suggested that a key point in potential trilateral peace talks remains whether Kyiv would be willing to withdraw troops from the unoccupied part of the Donetsk region, a demand that could influence US involvement in the negotiation process.
