
MOSCOW - Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that it is premature to assume the Ukraine conflict is nearing an end.
"It's too early to say that," Peskov said, responding to suggestions that the two sides had never been closer to a peace agreement.
He also urged against overinterpreting leaked Russian-US telephone conversations, which he said appeared aimed at disrupting ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Bloomberg on Wednesday published two transcripts of phone calls between senior US and Russian officials, showing the Trump administration had held secret talks with the Kremlin on a 28-point Ukraine peace plan, without disclosing the source of the records.
The Kremlin dismissed Bloomberg's transcripts as "fake," calling the leak an attempt to interfere with peace talks.
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On the same day, it confirmed that a US delegation, including President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and other senior officials, will visit Moscow next week to discuss a possible peace plan for Ukraine.
Abu Dhabi talks
Also on Wednesday, Russian and Ukrainian representatives held a meeting in Abu Dhabi, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov.
Ushakov said that US representatives also met with Russian representatives.
The peace plan for Ukraine was not discussed during the meeting in the United Arab Emirates' capital, he said, adding that it was passed on to Russia but has not yet been "discussed in detail with anyone yet."
Russia views parts of the US peace plan positively, but some aspects require special discussion among experts, he noted.
The official added that Europe is interfering in the peace process in Ukraine in "a completely unnecessary manner."
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The 28-point draft plan aimed at ending the Ukraine crisis has been trimmed to a 19-point framework drafted by the United States and Ukraine on Sunday in Geneva, multiple media outlets reported.
Trump said Tuesday in a Truth Social post that his team has made "tremendous progress" over the past week, and the original 28-point peace plan "has been fine-tuned, with additional input from both sides."
"There are only a few remaining points of disagreement," Trump said, noting that he has directed Witkoff to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week in the hope of finalizing a peace deal.
"At the same time, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll will be meeting with the Ukrainians," he added.

Trump said he looks forward to hopefully meeting with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky soon, but only when the peace deal is finalized or in its final stages.
Moreover, the US president backed away from a Thursday deadline for Ukraine to agree to the US-backed peace plan. "The deadline for me is when it's over," Trump told reporters on board Air Force One as he flew to Florida for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Trump also noted that Moscow had agreed to some concessions, without detailing them.
Both the US and Ukrainian sides confirmed "progress" after their talks in Geneva on Sunday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that he remained "very optimistic" about reaching an agreement within a "very reasonable period of time very soon."
However, "(some) require higher-level decisions and consultation," Rubio added.
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According to US media, the initial 28-point plan, widely seen as favorable to Russia, includes major territorial concessions by Ukraine, ruling out Ukraine's NATO bid, and sharp reductions in its armed forces.
A Ukrainian diplomat told reporters that the territorial issue remained a major sticking point in the peace plan, meaning a final deal was far from certain despite accords on various specific points. "These are really tough questions for us," the diplomat said.
Ukraine will not amend its Constitution as part of any potential peace deal, Interfax-Ukraine reported Wednesday, citing a member of the Ukrainian delegation involved in talks with the United States, other partners and Russia.
"We have stated that Ukraine will not accept any form of recognition and Ukraine will not make any changes to the Constitution -- these are red lines," said Oleksandr Bevz, an adviser to the head of Ukraine's presidential office.
He said territorial issues should be addressed on two principles: the current contact line should serve as the basis for talks, and such questions must be handled at the level of national leaders.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday that an amended peace plan for Ukraine must reflect the "spirit and letter" of understandings reached between Putin and Trump at their Alaska summit.
Last week, Putin said the US-proposed peace plan "could form the basis for a final settlement," although "this text has not been discussed with us in any substantive way."
"We are interested in achieving our goals through political and diplomatic means, and consistently adhere to this position," Peskov said Tuesday, adding that Russia remains fully open to negotiations on the Ukraine crisis.
