President Donald Trump expressed cautious optimism on Wednesday regarding stalled peace negotiations over Ukraine, stating that his envoys emerged from an extended Kremlin session with the firm impression that Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks an end to the nearly four-year conflict. The five-hour discussions, held on December 2, involved Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who presented an updated 27-point U.S. peace framework incorporating European and Ukrainian revisions to an initial 28-point proposal.

Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, described the meeting as "very good" and "reasonably good," emphasizing that "he would like to end the war – that was their impression" and "very strongly that he'd like to make a deal." The plan reportedly includes Ukraine ceding portions of the eastern Donbas region and forgoing NATO membership in exchange for security guarantees, though Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov noted no compromise was reached, particularly on territorial concessions and Kyiv's Western alignments.

Moscow attributed its hardened stance to recent military advances, including the claimed capture of the strategic Donetsk stronghold of Pokrovsk, where urban fighting persists according to Ukrainian sources. Ushakov highlighted how these "successes of the Russian army on the battlefield in recent weeks" have strengthened Russia's negotiating position, while rejecting the notion that Putin dismissed the entire proposal outright and reaffirming readiness for further diplomatic engagements.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged a "window of opportunity" for resolution but insisted it must be backed by intensified pressure on Russia to prevent concessions that undermine territorial integrity. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte echoed this, praising ongoing talks while underscoring the alliance's commitment to bolstering Kyiv's defenses through hundreds of millions in U.S. arms purchases, warning that Putin underestimates Western resolve.

As Russian forces continue grinding advances against outgunned Ukrainian troops, European leaders have voiced alarm over potential U.S.-Russia pacts excluding their input, prompting amendments to the peace blueprint. Trump lamented that Kyiv should have settled earlier, during a tense February Oval Office exchange with Zelensky, but affirmed Ukraine's broad alignment with the current terms, leaving the path forward dependent on mutual concessions in this high-stakes diplomatic tango.

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