Putin Adviser: US-Russia Ukraine Talks Constructive but Work Remain

Senior Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said talks between Russia and U.S. envoys aimed at ending the nearly four-year war in Ukraine were ‘rather useful, constructive and substantive’ but that substantial work remains. President Vladimir Putin met U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin in a meeting that began late Tuesday and ran about five hours. Both sides agreed not to disclose the substance of the discussions. Ushakov said the session focused on the framework of the U.S. peace proposal rather than exact wording, and that no territorial compromise — a core Kremlin demand — has been reached. He said some American proposals were potentially acceptable but that phrasing and other issues did not suit Moscow, adding that other disagreements exist but he declined to elaborate. Contacts will continue, he said, and any possible Putin-Trump meeting would depend on progress in negotiations. The meetings follow U.S. talks with a Ukrainian team in Florida earlier this week. Central to the effort is President Donald Trump’s peace plan, published last month and criticized for appearing to favor Moscow because it included Kremlin demands Kyiv rejects, such as ceding the entire Donbas and renouncing NATO membership. Negotiators say the framework has been revised and that several versions have been discussed. Putin accused European allies of sabotaging the U.S.-led effort, saying they have been injecting demands unacceptable to Russia and favoring war over peace. He reiterated that Russia has no plans to attack Europe but warned it would respond if Europe started a war with Russia. Observers note this rhetoric comes against a backdrop of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, subsequent European military and financial support for Kyiv, reductions in energy dependence on Moscow, and increased European deterrence. European leaders fear that Russian gains in Ukraine could threaten or destabilize other countries, and incidents such as airspace incursions and alleged sabotage have heightened concern. Trump’s plan asks European governments to provide most postwar financing and security guarantees for Ukraine, prompting calls from European capitals for a larger role in the talks after feeling sidelined by Washington. Coinciding with the envoys’ trip to Moscow, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Ireland to rally European support, meet political leaders and lawmakers, and press for broader European involvement in decision-making. Zelenskyy said he expected quick reports from U.S. envoys about whether negotiations could move forward after an initial 28-point American plan was pared back to 20 items during talks in Florida. He said he is ready to meet President Trump if signals are fair and negotiations produce results, stressing urgency because Ukrainians continue to die daily. The negotiations have progressed on parallel tracks, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meeting Ukrainian officials in Florida and Zelenskyy meeting the Ukrainian delegation that returned from those talks. Ukrainian diplomats say the Florida discussions drew on a document drafted earlier in Geneva and called that document finalized, while also warning of Russian disinformation aimed at influencing the process. European officials say the path to peace will be long, and it remains unclear how envoys will bridge core differences over territorial control. Zelenskyy faces mounting pressure at home as he juggles complex diplomacy, the need to secure funding for the state, a corruption scandal touching senior officials, and military challenges on the battlefield. The Kremlin claimed late Monday that Russian forces had captured the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a claim Ukrainian authorities denied as propaganda while reporting ongoing fighting and efforts to open additional supply routes for troops in the area.