Five hours of talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump’s chief negotiator appear to have failed to achieve a breakthrough in a Ukraine peace deal.
A Kremlin spokesman said the Moscow meeting was “constructive” but that parts of the plan were unacceptable to Russia.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner attended the meeting after weeks of intensive diplomacy aimed at ending the war. Team USA has made no comment since leaving Moscow.
Earlier in the day, President Putin said that the changes proposed by Kiev and Europe to the draft peace plan backed by the United States are unacceptable, adding, “If Europe wants war and starts one, we are ready right now.”
Ukraine and its allies have been lobbying the United States to amend the draft peace agreement. The White House has tried to reach a quick agreement, and the Kremlin has previously said it would accept it.
The plan, which was widely seen as favorable to Russia after being leaked to the media last November, has undergone several changes in recent weeks.
Asked about the proposals after the Moscow meeting, Putin’s top aide, Yuri Ushakov, said the Kremlin “agreed with some things… but we criticized some things.” “We haven’t reached a compromise yet. There is a lot of work to be done,” he added.
Major differences remain between Moscow and Kiev, including over Ukraine’s agreement to cede territory it continues to control and security guarantees provided by Europe.
Moscow and Ukraine’s European allies also remain sharply divided over their expectations of what a peace settlement should look like.
Ahead of the meeting, Putin lashed out at continental leaders who have supported Kiev’s defensive war effort since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in 2022.
He said European leaders were under the illusion that they could inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. He said that his country had no plans to go to war with Europe, but that if Europe suddenly wanted to go to war and went to war, we would be ready now.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said after the meeting that he expects to be briefed by his U.S. counterpart on the Kremlin meeting, but it is unclear whether Witkov and Kushner will fly to Kiev or other European capitals for further direct negotiations.
Before the Kremlin talks opened, Ukraine’s leader said Tuesday there was a chance to end the war “now more than ever” but elements of the proposal still needed to be worked out.
“Everything depends on today’s discussions,” Prime Minister Zelenskyy told a news conference during his official visit to Ireland.
“There are no simple solutions,” Zelensky said, reiterating his country’s insistence that Kiev engage in peace talks and agree to clear security guarantees, such as joining NATO. This is a move that Russia has long opposed and President Trump has ruled out.
“The war must be stopped in a way that prevents Russia from returning within a year,” Zelenskyy added.
Ukrainian representatives have held two high-level talks on the draft plan in recent weeks, attended by Witkoff, Kushner and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The White House said the resulting proposal was “significantly improved,” although details of the updated plan were not confirmed.
Putin, who believes Russia has the upper hand on the battlefield, remained firm on his demands until last week, while Zelenskyy has repeatedly said he will never give up control of eastern Ukraine.
During Tuesday’s meeting, President Trump told his Washington cabinet that the conflict was not easy to resolve and described the conflict as a “chaos.”
Kiev’s European allies refuted the US-backed 28-point plan in their own documents. It removes many of the most controversial elements, such as Washington’s recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk as de facto Russian.
Prime Minister Zelenskyy met French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, and several European leaders attended the meeting virtually.
“There is no final plan to speak of,” Macron said. “It can only be achieved with the input of Ukraine and Europe.”
Meanwhile, fighting continued on the front lines on Tuesday. Ukrainian forces said they were still fighting Russian forces in the key eastern city of Pokrovsk, contradicting Moscow’s claim that it had captured the city.
The Russian Defense Ministry shared a video on Telegram showing its troops raising a flag in the strategically important city, which they have been trying to capture for over a year.
Ukraine’s eastern military command claimed Russia had attempted to “plant a flag” in the city so that “propagandists” could say the city was occupied. They said in a statement posted on social media, “They fled in a hurry, and the operation to clear out enemy forces continues.”
The Ukrainian military said its forces still controlled the northern part of the city and that Russian troops were suffering heavy losses, while international observers also disputed Russia’s claims to the area.
The Kiev garrison also dismissed Russian claims that it had captured the northeastern Ukrainian border town of Vovchansk and said its position in the northeastern city of Kupyan, which Russia claims it conquered two weeks ago, had “significantly improved.”
Tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed or wounded and more than 14,000 civilians have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, according to the United Nations.
Civilian targets, including kindergartens, hospitals, and residential buildings, have been destroyed or seriously damaged by nighttime drone or missile attacks.
The conflict between the two former Soviet states began in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and supported an armed uprising in eastern Ukraine following the overthrow of Ukraine’s pro-Russian president.
