Axios reports that Witkoff and Kushner have shelved their next trip to Moscow, with new dates to be set only once it is clear whether Ukraine and Europe can agree on a joint proposal for Putin. American negotiators are holding their schedule hostage, and Kyiv and Brussels are expected to produce a text for the Kremlin.
The Terms Already Settled
Resurgam argues that this amounts to delivering terms that were already settled, and that nothing Ukraine or Europe did prompted it.
The Frozen Assets Demand
In these same days, Witkoff and Kushner pressed European capitals to hand over frozen Kremlin assets held in European banks and depositories, to be transferred to the US. Europe's answer was a flat "no chance."
This idea has been around for a while. Resurgam traces it to the Dmitriev package from 2025. The money would be spent on "rebuilding Ukraine." That phrase means the occupied part of Ukraine, and the Americans would take 50% of the proceeds. Moscow wrote it. Washington is now lobbying for it.
Diesel and the Sanctions Trade
The pattern shows up on the other side of the ledger. Washington is weighing a loosening of sanctions on the Russian shadow fleet. This follows Trump's October 9 call with Putin, after which OFAC issued a temporary general license for Russian diesel on global markets. Zelensky described it as a wartime investment. Russia gets paid. Ukraine is told to stop hitting refineries. The envoys carry the invoice.
The Restaurant on September 5
Resurgam places the real coordination at the September 5 trip to Moscow. Under cover of "peace talks," Witkoff and Kushner sat down with Dmitriev for a five-hour lunch at the Avora restaurant, under banners reading "Everything for Victory." The deals reached there were then pushed through at the White House. The public fixated on Witkoff's bizarre remarks about Putin's importance in his life. Attention drifted away from what was agreed at the table.
What Follows
If Resurgam is right, the Kremlin and the White House already have their arrangements. Nothing Kyiv does will change what comes next. It will simply be the execution of