MOSCOW, December 2. /TASS/. Russia and the United States are moving ahead with talks on a Ukraine peace plan despite European efforts to obstruct the process, Russia-EU trade has dropped to a historic low as sanctions continue to dismantle long-standing economic ties, and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has arrived in Moscow for a new round of strategic security consultations. These stories topped Tuesday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US Special Representative Steve Witkoff to discuss the peace plan for Ukraine is scheduled for December 2. At this stage, neither Kiev nor the European capitals will be able to halt the settlement process, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev told Izvestia. However, Brussels may well resort to provocations, the senator added. Against the backdrop of preparations for the Kremlin talks, Vladimir Zelensky visited France for the second time in two weeks. As the Russian Embassy in the country explained to Izvestia, the increased frequency of these visits is linked to Paris’s attempts to disrupt the peace process. Meanwhile, Kiev and Washington have discussed the "difficult points" of the agreement - the delegations met on November 30 in Florida, and according to media reports, there was a second round of talks as well.
