Russian President Vladimir Putin told two visiting US envoys on Thursday that he would not soften Moscow's territorial demands in Ukraine, and he rejected a proposal to send a foreign peacekeeping force there. The meeting took place at the Kremlin, the seat of the Russian government in Moscow, and lasted about two hours. The American side was represented by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are special envoys of US President Donald Trump. The outcome is a setback for hopes of a quick agreement to end the war, which is nearly five years old.
What Putin said in Moscow
Putin made clear that Russia would not scale back its demands for control of Ukrainian regions that Moscow has claimed to annex. He said that foreign troops in Ukraine after a ceasefire would, in effect, mean continuing the war. He also objected to ideas for non-military or buffer zones between the two countries, and argued that the line dividing them should be clearly drawn.
Kushner told Putin that Europe wanted a role in future negotiations. Witkoff said a major prisoner exchange agreed earlier in the week in Abu Dhabi was a sign of progress. The Kremlin described the talks as meaningful, constructive and useful.
The Abu Dhabi round ended without a breakthrough
The Moscow meeting followed two days of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, between Russia, Ukraine and the United States. Those talks produced no breakthrough, although the American side said it had seen "some openings". Both Moscow and Kyiv confirmed that a large-scale prisoner of war exchange was being prepared and could take place soon.
Davyd Arakhamia, from Ukraine's negotiating team, said the round was "one of the hardest" and the first since February. He added that he felt "good momentum" and wanted a second round organised as soon as possible. Kremlin negotiator Vladimir Medinsky was less conciliatory, saying that "a lot depends on Ukraine, on the position of the US, and on whether Europe comes to its senses."
Several European countries have pushed in recent times for a seat at the negotiating table, concerned about the US commitment to European security. For Kyiv, the security talks may involve assurances that allies would come to its aid if Ukraine were attacked again, even though it is not a Nato member. For Moscow, they are likely to involve limits on Nato's influence in eastern Europe.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- February: the previous round of talks took place before the Abu Dhabi round, which Ukraine's negotiator described as the first since then.
- Tuesday: Kushner said the US had seen "some openings and some opportunities" and would try to make progress with Putin.
- Wednesday: Trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi concluded after two days without a breakthrough, and in-person talks with Putin and Zelensky were announced.
- Thursday: Witkoff and Kushner met Putin at the Kremlin for about two hours, and were due to fly to Dublin later the same day to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Moscow mein US ke envoys aur Putin ki Ukraine jang par meeting hui, lekin Putin ne apne sakht mutalbat mein narmi se inkar kar diya. Unhon ne Ukraine mein ghair mulki peacekeeping fauj ko bhi mustarad kar diya. Abu Dhabi ki baatcheet mein koi bada samjhota nahi hua, lekin qaidiyon ka bara tabadla jald ho sakta hai. Aam Pakistani ke liye abhi seedha asar nahi hai, lekin tel ki qeematon aur duniya ke halaat par nazar rakhni hogi.
