Putin holds Ukraine peace talks with US negotiators in Moscow

Vladimir Putin hosted US negotiators in the Kremlin on Tuesday for five hours of talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, which a Russian official said were “productive.”

Discussions with US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were held behind closed doors and details have not yet emerged.

These talks came shortly after Putin announced that European demands regarding the American-Russian peace project were unacceptable, adding that “if Europe wants to fight with us, we are ready to do so.”

The American envoys headed to Moscow after similar talks with delegates from Kiev in the past two weeks. Ukrainian President Zelensky said he expected a briefing from the American team after the meeting.

He said there was an opportunity to end the war “now more than ever” but elements of the proposals still needed work.

“Everything depends on today’s discussions,” Zelensky said at a press conference in Dublin during an official visit to Ireland.

Kiev representatives have met twice with US negotiators, including Vitkov, Kushner and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, since the agreement. 28-point peace plan — widely seen to favor Moscow — was distributed in November.

It caused shock in Ukraine and throughout Europe by appearing to support the demands of Moscow, which invaded Ukraine about four years ago.

After talks with Ukraine over the weekend, the White House said the proposals had been “substantially refined,” although details of the updated plans have not been confirmed.

Some key disagreements remain between Moscow and Kiev, especially regarding Ukrainian sovereignty over territory partly controlled by Russia and security guarantees.

Zelensky said on Tuesday that there were no “simple solutions,” reiterating his country’s insistence that Kiev participate in peace discussions and agree on clear security guarantees, such as NATO membership – a move Russia has long opposed and Trump has ruled out.

Zelensky added: “We have to stop the war in such a way that Russia does not return in one year.”

Putin appeared firm on his demands last week, while Zelensky has repeatedly said he would never give up control of Ukraine’s eastern regions.

While Tuesday’s talks were underway, Trump told his Cabinet in Washington that resolving the conflict was not easy.

“Our people are in Russia now to see if we can settle the matter,” he said. “What a mess.”

Kiev’s European allies opposed the 28-point plan with their own document, which removed many of the most controversial elements, such as Washington’s recognition that Donetsk and Luhansk are de facto Russian.

Speaking before Tuesday’s meeting, Putin told reporters that Europe’s demands were “unacceptable” and that it was trying to obstruct efforts to achieve peace.

Afterwards, Russian foreign policy advisor Kirill Dmitriev, who was present at the table, described the talks as “productive.”

Zelensky met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, and several European leaders joined the meeting virtually.

Macron said that “there is no final plan to talk about” and that it can only be achieved with input from Ukraine and Europe.

Meanwhile, fighting continued on the front lines on Tuesday. The Ukrainian military said it was still clashing with Russian forces in the key eastern city of Pokrovsk, contradicting Moscow’s claim that it had captured the city.

The Russian Defense Ministry shared a video on Telegram claiming that its forces were raising flags in the strategically important city, which they have been trying to seize for more than a year.

Ukraine’s eastern military command claimed that Russia had tried to “raise the flag” in the city so that “propaganda mongers” could say it had been captured. She added in a statement on social media, “They fled in a hurry, and operations to purge hostile groups are still continuing.”

The Ukrainian military said its forces still controlled the northern part of the city, where Russian units suffered heavy losses, while international observers also questioned Russia’s claim to the area.

The military in Kiev also denied Russia’s claims of control over the northeastern Ukrainian border town of Vovchansk, and said it had “significantly improved” its position in the northeastern city of Kobyan, which Russia claimed to have occupied two weeks ago.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed or wounded — along with more than 14,000 civilians, according to the United Nations.

Civilian targets, including kindergartens, hospitals and residential buildings, were destroyed or severely damaged by nighttime drone or missile attacks.

The conflict between the two former Soviet states dates back to 2014, when the pro-Russian Ukrainian president was overthrown, and Russia responded by annexing the Crimean Peninsula and supporting armed uprisings in eastern Ukraine.