Diplomatic Momentum Builds in Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Tuesday. The White House says it feels very optimistic about advancing a deal to end the war in Ukraine. Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and informal adviser, will also attend the talks.
The meeting follows two days of negotiations in Florida between Ukrainian and US officials. Witkoff and Kushner worked on refining a US-backed peace plan previously viewed as favourable to Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the Florida talks as constructive but said several major issues still need resolution.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin will meet Witkoff in the second half of Tuesday. After talks in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine’s sovereignty and firm security guarantees remain essential. He said territorial concessions remain the toughest point, as Russia continues to demand eastern Ukrainian land. Kyiv refuses to accept such demands.
Frontline Reports Intensify the Stakes
The Moscow meeting comes after Russian officials claimed they captured Pokrovsk and the border town of Vovchansk. Ukrainian officials denied both claims. Open-source intelligence groups monitoring the front say neither town appears fully under Russian control.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s disinformation response centre, said Russia seems determined to shift all pressure from the US peace plan onto Ukraine. Russia has tried to capture Pokrovsk for almost a year and a half. It also released a video showing Putin at a command post, claiming progress in a key area.
Before arriving in Moscow, Witkoff met UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, President Zelensky, and Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov. Several European leaders joined the Zelensky-Macron meeting online. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the draft peace plan had been significantly refined. She said the administration feels good about the direction of the talks and hopes the war could finally end.
Putin said last week that he reviewed a US draft that could serve as a basis for a future agreement. Kremlin officials later expressed doubts about accepting it after Kyiv and European partners secured changes.
Peace Plan Faces Strong Opposition
An early US-Russia draft from November caused concern in Kyiv and across Europe. It heavily favoured Russian demands and set rules for how frozen Russian assets in Europe should be used. It also included terms for Ukraine’s access to European markets.
Macron said on Monday that no final peace plan exists. He insisted that any plan must involve Ukraine and Europe. He said Zelensky alone can decide on territorial issues and emphasized that Europe must take part in discussions on frozen assets, security guarantees, and Ukraine’s EU path.
He praised efforts by the Trump administration to end the conflict, which began with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and escalated with the full-scale invasion in 2022. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said this week could prove pivotal but warned that Russia prefers to negotiate with parties offering extra concessions. She said pressure often falls on the weaker side, as ending the war seems easier if Ukraine gives in—something she said benefits no one.
Major Issues Still Block a Deal
Moscow has at times engaged with US mediation, but several Russian demands undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty. Kyiv continues to reject them. Territorial disputes remain the largest obstacle. Security guarantees also remain a difficult point. Ukraine and European partners want strong protections, including possible NATO membership, to prevent future attacks. Russia opposes this, and Donald Trump also rejects Ukraine joining the alliance.
