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| Kremlin Denies Knowledge of Ukraine Plan Pushed by Trump Associates | Kremlin Denies Knowledge of Ukraine Plan Pushed by Trump Associates |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The Kremlin denied on Monday any knowledge of a peace plan for Ukraine put forward by a Ukrainian lawmaker and two associates of President Trump. | The Kremlin denied on Monday any knowledge of a peace plan for Ukraine put forward by a Ukrainian lawmaker and two associates of President Trump. |
| The proposal, reported by The New York Times on Sunday, would essentially require the withdrawal of all Russian forces from eastern Ukraine and would allow for Ukrainian voters to decide in a referendum if Crimea, the Ukrainian territory seized by Russia in 2014, would be leased to Russia for 50 or 100 years. It also outlined a way for the Trump administration to lift sanctions against Russia. | |
| The plan was put forward, The Times reported, by Michael D. Cohen, the president’s personal lawyer, who said he had delivered the document to the White House; Felix H. Sater, a business associate who has helped Mr. Trump scout deals in Russia; and a Ukrainian opposition lawmaker, Andrii V. Artemenko, trying to rise in a political opposition movement shaped in part by Mr. Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort. | The plan was put forward, The Times reported, by Michael D. Cohen, the president’s personal lawyer, who said he had delivered the document to the White House; Felix H. Sater, a business associate who has helped Mr. Trump scout deals in Russia; and a Ukrainian opposition lawmaker, Andrii V. Artemenko, trying to rise in a political opposition movement shaped in part by Mr. Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort. |
| While there is nothing illegal about unofficial diplomatic efforts, the revelations of the proposal, which seemed to advance Russian interests, come as the Trump administration is under intense scrutiny over any ties to Russia. Mr. Trump’s national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, resigned last week — ending the shortest tenure of anyone in that position since it was created in 1953 — over concerns that he had misrepresented his communications with the Russian ambassador to Vice President Mike Pence. | While there is nothing illegal about unofficial diplomatic efforts, the revelations of the proposal, which seemed to advance Russian interests, come as the Trump administration is under intense scrutiny over any ties to Russia. Mr. Trump’s national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, resigned last week — ending the shortest tenure of anyone in that position since it was created in 1953 — over concerns that he had misrepresented his communications with the Russian ambassador to Vice President Mike Pence. |
| Mr. Artemenko claims to have evidence showing corruption involving Ukraine’s president, Petro O. Poroshenko, and he says he has received encouragement for his plans from top aides to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. | Mr. Artemenko claims to have evidence showing corruption involving Ukraine’s president, Petro O. Poroshenko, and he says he has received encouragement for his plans from top aides to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. |
| The Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, denied on Monday that the government had any knowledge of the plan. He said there was no path to resolving the Ukraine situation outside of the cease-fire agreements reached in 2015 in Minsk, Belarus. And he dismissed any notion that Russia might some day lease Crimea from Ukraine. | The Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, denied on Monday that the government had any knowledge of the plan. He said there was no path to resolving the Ukraine situation outside of the cease-fire agreements reached in 2015 in Minsk, Belarus. And he dismissed any notion that Russia might some day lease Crimea from Ukraine. |
| “In this case, there is nothing to discuss, we don’t know anything about any plans — this is first,” Mr. Peskov said at a news conference. “Second, there is a general understanding that there is no alternative to the Minsk agreements, and that if any political-diplomatic solution of the Ukrainian problem can be reached, it has to be based on these agreements. Third, how can Russia lease its own region? Such a formula is absurd.” | “In this case, there is nothing to discuss, we don’t know anything about any plans — this is first,” Mr. Peskov said at a news conference. “Second, there is a general understanding that there is no alternative to the Minsk agreements, and that if any political-diplomatic solution of the Ukrainian problem can be reached, it has to be based on these agreements. Third, how can Russia lease its own region? Such a formula is absurd.” |
| Another top Russian official, Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov, said that Russia could not lease Crimea, as “one cannot lease anything from oneself.” When asked about hypothetical measures to normalize relations with Ukraine, he said, “I cannot add anything else.” | Another top Russian official, Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov, said that Russia could not lease Crimea, as “one cannot lease anything from oneself.” When asked about hypothetical measures to normalize relations with Ukraine, he said, “I cannot add anything else.” |
| He continued, “There are many people who want to distract attention from the Petro Poroshenko administration’s full incapability of fulfilling their duties under the Minsk agreements — and distract attention from our French and German partners’ incapability of somehow influencing Poroshenko and making him keep his word.” | He continued, “There are many people who want to distract attention from the Petro Poroshenko administration’s full incapability of fulfilling their duties under the Minsk agreements — and distract attention from our French and German partners’ incapability of somehow influencing Poroshenko and making him keep his word.” |
| Mr. Manafort said on Monday that he had “no knowledge of this plan” and “no role in it.” He said he did not know anyone involved in the proposal aside from Mr. Cohen. | Mr. Manafort said on Monday that he had “no knowledge of this plan” and “no role in it.” He said he did not know anyone involved in the proposal aside from Mr. Cohen. |