The latest attempt to broker a peace deal in Ukraine has faltered after Vladimir Putin rejected a US-brokered proposal, underscoring the Kremlin's continued unwillingness to compromise. The meeting between Putin and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow lasted five hours but yielded no breakthrough.
Despite pressure from the Trump administration for Ukraine to make concessions, Putin remained steadfast on key issues such as territorial control and Ukraine's future political status. Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov described the talks as productive but said Moscow and Washington were "neither further nor closer to resolving the crisis."
The US proposal, partly drafted by Kremlin adviser Kirill Dmitriev, was met with a mixed response from Moscow. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said some proposals were accepted while others were deemed unacceptable, calling it a "normal working process." However, analysts had predicted the rejection, noting that Putin sees the meeting as a platform to present his preconditions rather than negotiate.
Former US official Thomas Graham suggested that Putin is growing weary of informal diplomacy led by Witkoff, who lacks formal diplomatic training. Putin prefers a traditional diplomatic process with working groups to address complex issues. For Ukraine, the failure may be a temporary relief if it shifts blame away from Kyiv, but the Kremlin remains content to continue fighting until its demands are met.
