Caroline Levitt, the White House spokesperson, announced on the 18th (local time) that the third ceasefire negotiations involving the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine, aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war, have made “meaningful progress” and that further talks would be held. The negotiations took place over two days, from the 17th to the 18th, in Geneva, Switzerland.
Regarding questions about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement on whether it is unfair to ask Ukraine to make concessions, and if such concessions mean giving up Donbas, Levitt responded that the President probably believes that it is not right for Ukrainians and Russians to lose their lives in this deadly war, avoiding giving a direct answer.
Levitt also mentioned that there has been “some progress” in the nuclear negotiations with Iran, which were mediated by Oman. She anticipated that the Iranian side would present more detailed proposals within the next two weeks, although significant differences in opinions remained on some issues.
The negotiations were conducted through indirect exchanges, with the U.S. and Iran talking separately with Oman in Geneva. The U.S. seeks to not only prevent Iran’s nuclear enrichment but also to expand the negotiation scope to include missile capabilities, while Iran is willing to offer some concessions on nuclear enrichment but not on missile issues.
In response to whether the U.S. warned Russia or China not to intervene if America attacks Iran, Levitt said she was unaware of such warnings and expressed no intention of disclosing private conversations between the President and world leaders. She emphasized that the President would make decisions concerning Iran and would not reveal those decisions in advance.
Concerning the potential federal government shutdown, Levitt stated that President Trump had not had direct conversations with Democratic lawmakers about the issue. She described the budget proposal offered by the Democrats as “not serious.”
On Cuban policy, Levitt commented that it would be in Cuba’s interest to change quickly, and on water resource concerns due to the Potomac River pollution from a sewage pipe rupture, she noted that President Trump was prepared to intervene if necessary.