Jonathan Kearsley: US correspondent on Ukraine and the US moving closer on a peace plan

Ukraine officials say they've agreed to the 'essence' of a peace deal with Russia, but some sensitive issues are still to resolve.

US President Donald Trump says a deal is close and US and Russian officials have been meeting separately in Abu Dhabi on discussions.

Reports indicate it's now expected Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet within the next week.

US correspondent Jonathan Kearsley says the final deal will come down to whether or not Russia accepts the proposed changes.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
And finally this is major It's and English School's Teddy
Bear has gone missing after a trip to the upper atmosphere. Now,
students at Wolhampton School were invited to the launch of
a high altitude weather balloon and so what they did
is they strapped a couple of the school's tour is,
Bill the Badger and Bradfield Bear to the balloon for
a ride. When the balloon reached the stratosphere, Bradford Bear

(00:21):
fell off and he's now missing. In the school reckons,
he's probably landed somewhere near Reading. Thankfully, Bill the Badger
stayed attached to the balloon for the whole trip and
he's safely back at the school.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
International correspondence with ends and eye Insurance peace of mind
for New Zealand Business.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
Now, I haven't got foggiest as to why we told
you that story, but what I'm going to tell you
is that's cool. Like that's a cool thing to do
as a school, isn't it?

Speaker 3 (00:44):
With us?

Speaker 2 (00:45):
Now?

Speaker 1 (00:45):
As Jonathan Cursley, US correspondent, Now, Jonathan, can we get.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
More schools to send stuff into space? Like this is
where stuff should be? Station is fascinating. People are fascinated
by it. Let's let's get more stuff up there. Let's
get school kids interested. It's a wonderful world beyond our world.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
It's technology, it's space, it's all of that. It's science.
And then what you do as well is you get
them in the little footwear and then you get them
out around reading trying to find the best. And then
you've got pe as well, Like this is.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
What it's all about. Like anybody that should be not
know what our worth, what our world has, well, you know,
go explore what we have and let's send more weather balloons,
let's send more space stuff up. Let's say school's interested, kids,
It's a multi million dollar idea. Be concerned, do.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
You know what, Jonathan? I reckon we should stop otherwise
they're going to try to get us to design everyone's
curriculum the way we're going now. Listen, this business with
Ukraine and Trump and the peace deal are starting to
sound positive. But the problem, I would imagine is going
to be Russia.

Speaker 3 (01:47):
What do you think, Yeah, this.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
Is the multimillion dollar question. It is what is Russia's response?
I mean, you're already saying. Through Bloomberg today, leaked reports
of Steve wikoff, who is Donald try, I'm send boid
to these peace deals. His idea on how to coerce
Russia into convincing Donald Trump this is the best way forward.
And President Trump responded in an Air Force one a
short time ago to these leaked audio recordings, essentially saying, look,

(02:16):
this is all standard practice. This is what we do
when we come to trying to deal in these global
communications and these global peace deals. But what you've got
now is an often that's been put to Ukraine and
they have indicated yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:29):
Look it might be positive, but they want some changes.

Speaker 2 (02:31):
But ultimately it's going to come down to is Russia
going to accept those changes? Because what Russia is essentially
saying is the same thing it's said for year. Once
the Ukrainian territory. It wants Ukraine to not say that
it's going to be part. It's put all of these
stigmas into these protocols, this twenty eight point piece plan
Prane is going to actually want it and it wants

(02:57):
to make change.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
Ye hold on, Jonathan, We're going to give you up
on the phone. Because you know, for all of the
talk of science and technology, it would appear that science
and technology has failed us in terms of your WhatsApp
Jonathan Kurzley is back with us, Jonathan, as you were,
what were you saying?

Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yeah, Look, this boils down to what is Russia going
to accept. Is it going to accept what Ukraine's counterposition is,
or is it going to say, essentially, these are our
lines in the sand and we're not moving because right now,
as it says, the twenty eight point plan that's been
put forward is largely the Russian position that was put
forward years ago, right at the beginning of this conflict.
It says that you know, they don't want Russia to

(03:34):
be part of NATO. They don't want sorry, they don't
want your CRAINTI to be part of NATO. They don't
want you crying to consider it. They want you crying
to reduce its own army. They want your crying to
reduce its own military forces. And this is the key
question moving forward in the next couple of days is
how much is Russia willing to move? Because if it's
not willing to move iota, then this peace deal is

(03:55):
not a peace deal at all. It is off the table.
So this comes down to what is the Kremlin allowing
in terms of movability. I suppose if you like the
Ukrainian position to be, because Ukraine's going to come back
and they're going to say we want changes to X,
Y and Z, and they are going to want changes.
They've already indicated that it's been reported, their minor changes.

(04:17):
But if Russia doesn't agree to it, then the whole
thing's off the table.

Speaker 1 (04:21):
Yeah, and that all comes down to whether Russia actually
whether the Russia's got a hold on Trump, and whether
Trump can push them. Jonathan, appreciate your time and thanks
for changing lines for us. It's Jonathan Kursley, US correspondent.

Speaker 2 (04:30):
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio