High-stakes talks between the United States and Russia aimed at ending the war in Ukraine failed to produce a breakthrough on Tuesday, with the Kremlin insisting that “no compromise” had been reached on the critical issue of territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, and special envoy Steve Witkoff in the Kremlin. The five-hour meeting centered on a revised U.S. peace plan, which had been adjusted after concerns from Kyiv and European allies that the original version offered too many concessions to Moscow.
Top Russian aide Yuri Ushakov said some American proposals could be discussed, but others were unacceptable. “Some proposed formulations do not fit us, and work will continue,” he noted, adding that while the talks were “useful,” Russia maintained a critical stance on several points.
Trump acknowledged the difficulty of the negotiations, telling a cabinet meeting: “Our people are over in Russia right now to see if we can get it settled. Not an easy situation, let me tell you. What a mess.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed that any plan must bring a permanent end to the war, not just a temporary pause. In a social media post, he warned: “There will be no simple solutions… Nothing is decided without Ukraine about us, about our future.”
Key Sticking Points
Territory: Putin demands Kyiv surrender land Moscow claims as its own.
Monitoring: The Kremlin rejects any European force in Ukraine to oversee a truce.
Assets & Security: Zelensky highlighted unresolved issues over frozen Russian assets and security guarantees.
Putin also sent a hawkish signal ahead of the talks, citing Russia’s claimed capture of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine as a “good foothold” for achieving Moscow’s original war objectives.
Despite the lack of progress, Ushakov said the discussions did not widen the gap between U.S. and Russian positions, leaving open the possibility of further negotiations.
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