U.S.-Russia Talks Leave Ukraine Peace Efforts Uncertain

U.S. President Donald Trump said the path forward for Ukraine peace talks remains uncertain despite what he described as “reasonably good” discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and top U.S. envoys. According to the Kremlin, Putin accepted parts of the latest U.S. proposals aimed at ending the war in Ukraine and expressed willingness to keep negotiating for a possible compromise.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner held hours-long talks in Moscow before returning to brief Trump, who said they reported that Putin “would like to make a deal.” Still, Trump emphasized that progress depends on both sides, noting only that the U.S. has “something pretty well worked out with Ukraine.” Witkoff and Kushner are set to meet Ukrainian officials in Miami on Thursday as diplomatic efforts intensify.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov pushed back on claims that Moscow rejected U.S. proposals, saying some ideas were accepted while others were not—part of what he called a normal negotiation process. A Kremlin aide also confirmed that no final compromises had been reached.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his team is preparing for upcoming U.S. meetings and stressed that any durable peace must reflect Ukraine’s interests. The renewed talks come at a challenging moment for Kyiv, which is facing battlefield setbacks and its largest corruption scandal since the war began. Recent investigations prompted the resignation of Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, who previously led Ukraine’s peace delegation, as well as the dismissal of two cabinet ministers.

Russia has thanked Trump for his involvement but insists that sensitive discussions will continue quietly at the expert level. Tensions escalated after leaked U.S. draft proposals raised concerns in Kyiv and European capitals for appearing too favorable to Moscow. European governments later introduced their own counter-proposals, and Washington and Kyiv have since updated their joint peace framework.

Putin has criticized European efforts, arguing their proposals undermine negotiations. Russian officials say the latest talks covered a revised set of documents, though details remain undisclosed.