Critical negotiations between the United States and Russia over a potential end to the war in Ukraine concluded on Tuesday without progress, with the Kremlin confirming that “no compromise” had been reached on the core territorial issue.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in the Kremlin. The meeting came as Putin reiterated that Russian forces were prepared to continue pushing towards Moscow’s original war objectives.
The talks form part of a tense week for Ukraine, following several days of high-intensity diplomacy. Central to the discussions is a revised US peace proposal, updated after Kyiv and European governments raised concerns that the initial version was overly favourable to Moscow.
Following the talks, senior Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov stated: “So far we haven’t found a compromise, but some American solutions can be discussed.” He emphasised that “some proposed formulations do not fit us,” saying that negotiations would continue.
Trump told a White House cabinet meeting that progress would be difficult.
“Our people are over in Russia right now to see if we can get it settled,” he said. “Not an easy situation, let me tell you. What a mess.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Monday that any peace plan must deliver a lasting end to the war, rather than merely suspending the fighting launched by Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
He added that decisions must be made transparently and not “behind Ukraine’s back”.
Moscow dismisses revised plan
Kushner and Witkoff presented Putin with the updated US plan, following criticism that the earlier 28-point version offered too much ground to Moscow.
Ushakov said the original plan had been divided into four components, which were examined during the five-hour meeting. While he acknowledged that “there were some points we could agree on,” he said Putin had expressed a “critical, even negative” view of several proposals.
The Kremlin insists that Ukraine must concede the territories claimed by Russia and opposes any deployment of European peacekeeping forces on Ukrainian soil.
Zelensky said the “most difficult questions” remained those concerning territory, frozen Russian assets, and long-term security guarantees.
Nevertheless, Ushakov said the talks were “useful” and noted that the US and Russian positions had not grown further apart.
Military and political pressure
Putin appeared to project a tough stance shortly before the meeting began. He declared that Pokrovsk — an eastern Ukrainian city that Russia claims to have recently captured — was a “good foothold” for achieving the aims of the “special military operation”.
Ukraine faces pressure on multiple fronts: Russia made rapid territorial gains in eastern Ukraine in November, and Kyiv has been shaken by corruption scandals culminating in the resignation of Zelensky’s chief negotiator.
Moscow has also intensified missile and drone strikes, leaving large portions of the population without heating or electricity. Zelensky has accused Russia of attempting to “break” the country.
Putin, meanwhile, accused Europe of derailing a potential settlement and warned: “We are not planning to go to war with Europe, but if Europe wants to and starts, we are ready right now.”
Zelensky added that he expected to address the major issues directly with the US president, suggesting Russia may be participating in the talks in hopes of easing Western sanctions.
Kushner’s first involvement
European governments are concerned that the United States and Russia could negotiate an agreement that sidelines them or pressures Ukraine into unfair concessions.
The original US plan, leaked last month, bore such close resemblance to Moscow’s demands that critics accused Russia of influencing its drafting — allegations the US rejected.
Bloomberg reported that an audio recording appeared to show Witkoff advising Russian officials on how Putin should present his proposals to Trump.
While Witkoff has met Putin several times, US media noted that this marks the first occasion on which Kushner — who earlier this year helped secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas — has joined the negotiations.
Glive24/SS