Five hours of talks in Moscow between senior US envoys and Russian leaders ended without a breakthrough on a proposed Ukraine peace deal. Kremlin officials described the meeting as “constructive,” but said significant elements of the plan remained unacceptable to Russia and no compromise had been reached.
The US delegation, which included President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, met Kremlin officials after weeks of intensive diplomacy aimed at ending the war. The US team left Moscow without commenting publicly. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the parties “agreed with some points… but some things we criticised,” and that more work was needed to find common ground.
Tensions persist over core issues: Moscow wants territorial concessions and arrangements that would reflect control over parts of eastern Ukraine, while Kyiv and its European partners insist Ukraine must keep control of its territory and receive clear, robust security guarantees. NATO membership—a red line for Russia—remains unacceptable to Moscow and has been ruled out by Trump, while Kyiv insists on guarantees that would prevent a renewed Russian assault.
The talks followed months of negotiation around a US-backed draft 28-point plan, which first surfaced in media reports last November and was widely viewed as favourable to Russia. Washington has revised the proposal repeatedly at the urging of Ukraine and European allies. The White House says the plan has been “very much refined,” but officials have not published full details of the updated text.
European governments circulated an alternative document that removes many of the most contentious elements of the US draft, including any implicit recognition of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk administrations. French President Emmanuel Macron, who joined a recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky virtually, said there was “no finalised plan to speak of” and that any agreement must include input from Ukraine and its European supporters.
Before the talks, President Putin criticised European leaders for backing Kyiv’s defence efforts and warned that if Europe sought a broader confrontation, Russia was prepared to respond. Zelensky, speaking from Ireland ahead of the Moscow meeting, said there was an opportunity to end the war “now more than ever,” but also warned that elements of any settlement still needed to be worked out. He insisted Ukraine must participate directly in negotiations and sought guarantees that would ensure Russia could not simply return in a year.
While diplomacy continued, fighting persisted on the front lines. Ukrainian forces reported ongoing clashes in the eastern city of Pokrovsk and denied Russian claims that the city had fallen, describing video footage shared by the Russian Ministry of Defence as propaganda. Kyiv also rejected Moscow’s assertions about taking the border town of Vovchansk and said its forces had improved positions around Kupyansk.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, the conflict has inflicted heavy losses: tens of thousands of military casualties and more than 14,000 civilian deaths, according to UN figures. Civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and residential buildings, has suffered widespread damage from missile and drone strikes.
With sharp differences remaining between Moscow, Kyiv and European capitals over territorial settlement and security guarantees, participants warned that substantial negotiations lie ahead before any peace deal can be finalised.