Russian President Vladimir Putin held a five-hour meeting with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin, marking a renewed effort to broker peace in Ukraine.
The talks, which began late Tuesday, were described by senior Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov as "constructive" and "substantive," though no specific agreements were reached.
While both sides agreed to keep the details confidential, Ushakov emphasized that discussions centered on the framework of the U.S. peace proposal rather than finalized language. He noted that progress was not further away but acknowledged substantial work remains, especially on territorial issues, which are critical to any resolution.
In the wake of the Nov. 20 leak of the Trump Administration’s 28-point peace proposal, President Zelensky and several European leaders issued strong objections, condemning the plan’s call for Ukraine to reduce its military posture and relinquish significant territory.
Seeking a path forward, Ukrainian and U.S. officials met in Geneva last week to review a revised version of the proposal, though the contents of the updated draft have not been released.
Those talks were followed by a second round of negotiations in Florida over the weekend, led by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukraine’s new envoy, Rustem Umerov, the recently appointed head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council. Umerov stepped in after Andriy Yermak resigned as Zelensky’s chief of staff amid a sweeping anti-corruption investigation, triggered by a raid on his home.
Following the Florida discussions, Rubio characterized the meetings as “productive,” while cautioning that “additional work remains.” He again underscored that any meaningful progress hinges on Moscow’s participation, reiterating his view that both Russia and Ukraine will ultimately face “difficult but necessary concessions.”
Meanwhile, Putin accused European allies of sabotaging peace efforts by proposing unacceptable demands, casting European nations as obstructors of the process. He reiterated Russia's stance of having no plans to attack Europe and blamed Western and European countries for blocking progress.
