Witkoff didn't meet with Zelensky in Turkey because latter doesn't want to discuss new U.S. plan on Ukraine - press

WASHINGTON. Nov 19 (Interfax) - United States Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff did not hold a meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on Wednesday after it emerged that the latter was not going to discuss the new U.S. plan on the Ukrainian settlement, the Axios news website said, citing a source.

"The meeting was postponed when it became clear that Zelensky [...] is not interested in discussing the Trump plan. Zelensky instead was traveling to Ankara with another plan drafted with European partners, which Russia will never accept, the U.S. official said," the website said.

At that, the U.S. plan was earlier shown to Ukrainian National Security Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, and, according to a U.S. source, he expressed agreement with a number of provisions, Axios said. At the same time, the media outlet cited an unnamed Ukrainian official stating that Umerov did not approve of the proposed plan.

According to Axios' sources, Witkoff initially received U.S. President Donald Trump's permission to hold talks with Zelensky in Turkey, it said. When it was revealed that the Ukrainian president did not intend to discuss the U.S. proposal, Trump expressed support for Witkoff's decision not to meet with Zelensky.

In the end, "the ball is in Zelensky's court," one of the sources told Axios. The source added that the U.S. is ready to receive the Ukrainian president in Washington, if he would be willing to discuss the new conflict settlement option.