Talks Gain Momentum in Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Tuesday. The White House says it feels very optimistic about progress toward ending the war in Ukraine. Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and informal adviser, will also join the talks.
The meeting follows two days of negotiations in Florida between Ukrainian and US officials. Witkoff and Kushner refined a US-backed peace plan once seen as favourable to Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the talks constructive but warned that tough issues remain.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Witkoff will meet Putin on Tuesday afternoon. After meeting Emmanuel Macron in Paris, Zelensky said Ukraine’s sovereignty and firm security guarantees remain central goals. He stressed that the territorial question stays the hardest part of any deal, as the Kremlin still demands Ukrainian concessions in the east. Kyiv refuses to consider that.
Frontline Claims Heighten Tension
The Moscow talks begin hours after Russian officials claimed they had captured Pokrovsk and the border town of Vovchansk. Ukrainian authorities denied any such losses. Open-source intelligence reports suggested neither place had been fully taken by Russian troops.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s disinformation response centre, said Russia wants to shift all pressure in the US peace plan onto Ukraine. Russia has tried to seize Pokrovsk for nearly a year and a half and released a video showing Putin at a command post saying Russia had made progress in an important area.
Before heading to Moscow, Witkoff met UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, President Zelensky, and Ukraine’s new chief negotiator Rustem Umerov. Several European leaders joined the Zelensky-Macron conversation online. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the peace draft had been significantly refined. She added that the administration felt very optimistic and hoped the war would end soon.
Putin recently said he had reviewed a US draft that might serve as a basis for a future agreement. Kremlin officials later cast doubt on acceptance after Kyiv and European partners secured amendments.
A Contested Peace Plan
An earlier US-Russia draft from November alarmed Kyiv and European states. It heavily favoured Russian demands and outlined how frozen Russian assets in Europe should be used. It also set terms for Ukraine’s access to European markets.
Macron said on Monday that no final peace plan exists. He stressed that any proposal must involve Ukraine and European nations. He added that Zelensky alone can decide on territorial questions. Macron also noted that security guarantees, frozen assets, and Ukraine’s path into the EU require European involvement.
He praised US efforts to end the conflict, which began with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and expanded with the 2022 invasion. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said this week could be decisive but warned that Russia prefers talks with those willing to offer extra concessions. She said pressure may fall on the weaker side, as ending the war seems easier if Ukraine yields. She emphasised that such an outcome benefits no one.
Core Disputes Still Block Progress
Moscow has at times appeared open to US mediation, yet several Russian demands violate Ukraine’s sovereignty and remain unacceptable to Kyiv. The territorial dispute remains the main obstacle. Security guarantees also spark disagreement. Ukraine and European partners want strong guarantees, including possible NATO membership, to prevent future attacks. Russia rejects that option firmly, and Donald Trump also opposes Ukraine joining the alliance.
