In a 2017 meeting with Erik Prince, the former CEO of Blackwater and a Trump ally, Dmitriev discussed U.S.-Russia relations, according to a Department of Justice report published by Special Counsel Robert Mueller in 2019. Mueller's team was investigating ties between the Trump team and Russia.

Ukraine, with the support of the European Union (EU) countries, has begun negotiations with the United States on possible terms for a future peace agreement with Russia. This was announced on November 22 by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Rustem Umerov.

Ukrainian officials say a missile and drone attack killed dozens, right as the U.S. Army secretary arrived to push for peace talks.

The Office of the President of Ukraine said in a statement on social media Saturday that "consultations on steps to end the war will take place in the coming days."

On the ground in Ukraine, all of my sources are giving indications it is highly tense, and they do not like where the conversation is going between the Kremlin and White House.

"I will present arguments, I will persuade, I will offer alternatives, but we will definitely not give the enemy any reason to say that Ukraine does not want peace, that it is dis