High-level talks between the United States and Russia aimed at ending the nearly four-year war in Ukraine concluded without a breakthrough on Tuesday, as the Kremlin declared that “no compromise” had been reached on the central issue of occupied territories. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov described the five-hour Kremlin meeting between President Vladimir Putin, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff as “useful” but confirmed that several American proposals remained unacceptable to Moscow.

The US delegation presented a revised version of its peace plan, significantly altered after the original 28-point document provoked outrage in Kyiv and European capitals for appearing to concede too much to Russian demands. Despite the modifications, Putin maintained his insistence on permanent Ukrainian recognition of territories currently under Russian control and rejected any deployment of European monitoring forces on Ukrainian soil.

Ushakov acknowledged that certain elements of the American proposals could serve as a basis for further discussion, yet emphasised that Moscow’s core positions had not shifted. Hours before the meeting, Putin delivered a pointed reminder of Russian military momentum by describing the recently captured eastern stronghold of Pokrovsk as a “good foothold” for achieving all original objectives of what Moscow terms its “special military operation.”

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has insisted that any agreement must deliver lasting peace rather than a temporary freeze that would allow Russia to rearm. He warned against decisions being made “about us without us,” particularly regarding territory, frozen Russian assets, and long-term security guarantees, while accusing Moscow of using the talks primarily to secure sanctions relief.

With Russian forces advancing in eastern Ukraine and intensifying missile and drone attacks that have left hundreds of thousands without power as winter approaches, the absence of immediate progress has heightened European concerns that Washington might push Kyiv toward concessions unacceptable to its allies. As both sides agreed to continue discussions, the path to a negotiated settlement remains fraught with deep mutual distrust.

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