Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly rejected several elements of a U.S. peace proposal aimed at halting the nearly four-year war in Ukraine, signaling that a breakthrough remains distant despite intensified diplomatic efforts under President Donald Trump. In remarks aired Thursday on India Today before his arrival in New Delhi, Putin described the five-hour Kremlin talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as "necessary" and "substantive," but underscored irreconcilable differences on core issues like territorial concessions and security guarantees for Kyiv.

The U.S. plan, initially comprising 28 points and later refined to 27 divided into four packages, draws from prior Russia-U.S. discussions, including Putin's August meeting with Trump in Alaska, yet incorporates fresh provisions that Moscow deems unacceptable. Putin declined to specify which elements Russia could endorse, cautioning that premature disclosures might undermine Trump's negotiation framework. He reiterated Moscow's unyielding objective to secure full control of eastern Donetsk, declaring that achievement would occur "by force or Ukrainian withdrawal," leaving no room for compromise on territorial integrity.

Trump expressed optimism Wednesday, stating that Witkoff and Kushner left Moscow convinced of Putin's desire for a deal, describing their assessment as "very strong." However, the Kremlin's stance highlights persistent barriers, particularly Ukraine's refusal to cede land and the challenge of ensuring long-term safeguards against future Russian aggression, which have repeatedly stalled prior mediation attempts.

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European leaders, sidelined by direct U.S. engagement with Moscow and Kyiv, have criticized Putin for insincere participation. French President Emmanuel Macron sought Chinese President Xi Jinping's intervention during a Beijing summit, but Xi offered only vague endorsement of peace initiatives without committing to pressure Russia, a key Moscow ally. Meanwhile, Russian missile and drone assaults persisted overnight, striking civilian targets in Kryvyi Rih—Zelenskyy's hometown—wounding six including a toddler and damaging over 40 buildings, a school, and gas infrastructure.

The barrage extended to Kherson, where a six-year-old girl succumbed to injuries from prior shelling, and the regional thermal power plant—serving 40,000 residents—shut down after sustained drone attacks, prompting emergency heating measures and warming tents. Odesa reported six injuries from drone strikes on civilian and energy sites, with Russia launching two ballistic missiles and 138 drones overall. In Russian-held Kherson areas, a Ukrainian drone killed two men and wounded a woman, underscoring the conflict's unrelenting toll amid fragile diplomatic overtures.

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