US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Putin in the Russian capital on Tuesday, as the United States seeks to end the deadliest war in Europe since World War II.
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The discussion lasted for about five hours and ended after midnight. “So far, we have not found any agreement, but some US solutions can be discussed,” said Yuri Ushakov, a top Kremlin aide who attended the meeting.
Although Ushakov described the talks as “very productive and constructive”, he stressed that “a lot of work remains in both Washington and Moscow”.
The US delegation had traveled to the Russian capital to discuss the peace plan, which Washington has updated after its previously leaked 28-point draft was strongly criticized by Ukraine and its allies for favoring Russia.
The Kremlin has condemned Kiev and Europe’s subsequent counter-proposal, with Putin repeatedly saying it is “unacceptable” for his country.
Ahead of his meeting with US officials, the Russian leader made fiery remarks at an investment forum, where he claimed his country was ready to fight against Europe.
“They are in favor of war,” Putin claimed, referring to Ukraine’s European allies. “We can clearly see that all these changes are aimed at only one thing: to completely block the entire peace process, to make demands that are absolutely unacceptable for Russia.”
The 73-year-old also said that following the attacks on ships carrying Russian oil off the coast of Turkiye, Russia would increase attacks on Ukrainian ports and ships as well as tankers supporting Kiev.
Responding to his comments, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiha said it was clear that Putin did not want the war to end.
“Yesterday, he said he was ready to fight winter. Today, he puts sea ports and freedom of navigation at risk,” Sibiha wrote on social media.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on a visit to Ireland, said a “dignified peace” was needed.
When asked at an event in Dublin whether he feared the US might lose interest in the peace process, he said he feared Kiev’s allies would become “exhausted”.
“Russia’s goal is to withdraw America’s interest from this situation,” he said.
For his part, Trump acknowledged that the negotiations were difficult.
“Our people are in Russia right now to see if we can sort this out,” Trump said at a Cabinet meeting in Washington, DC. “There is no easy situation. What a mess,” he said, noting that the war is causing thousands of casualties every month.
A senior figure in Kiev told the AFP news agency that Witkoff and Kushner could meet a Ukrainian delegation, possibly in Brussels, as early as Wednesday.
The surge in diplomatic activity came after Russia claimed it had seized Pokrovsk, a city of “special importance” in Ukraine’s Donbass.
Kiev denies the development, saying Moscow wants to create the impression that Russia’s progress is inevitable.
Putin suggested on Tuesday that “from this base, from this sector, the Russian army can easily advance in any direction that the General Staff considers the most promising”.
Moscow’s forces control more than 19 percent of Ukraine, up one percent from last year. Russia’s troops have advanced more rapidly in 2025 than at any time since 2022, according to pro-Ukraine maps cited by Reuters.
In a previously leaked US peace proposal, Russian demands included setting limits on the size of the Ukrainian army, control over the entire Donbass and recognition of Moscow’s presence in the Ukrainian regions of Zaporizhia and Kherson.
While Kiev has said such concessions would amount to “surrender”, Zelensky said protecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity remains the “biggest challenge” in the ongoing talks.
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