Ukraine Peace Talks: US-Russia Acknowledge Progress, Hurdles Remain

Discussions aimed at achieving peace in Ukraine between Russia and the United States have been described as productive, yet significant work is still required, according to a senior advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin hosted a meeting on Tuesday between President Putin and a US delegation including envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as efforts to broker an end to the nearly four-year conflict continue. While specific details of the high-level discussions were not disclosed by either party, Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s advisor, indicated that progress was made. He noted that certain American proposals were “more or less acceptable” but require further discussion, while others did not align with Russia’s stance. “The work will continue,” Ushakov stated, adding that President Putin conveyed both agreement on some points and “critical and even negative attitude” towards others. This follows a prior meeting in Florida where a Ukrainian delegation engaged with senior US officials on the peace plan. Following that encounter, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed cautious optimism, suggesting that “some signs of progress” had emerged. However, a recently revealed peace proposal, reportedly from President Donald Trump, has faced strong opposition. Key elements of this plan, which appeared to favor Russian interests, included demands for Ukraine to cede the entire Donbas region and abandon its aspirations to join NATO. Ukrainian officials have unequivocally rejected these terms as unacceptable. Negotiators have since indicated that the plan has undergone modifications, though the exact nature of these changes remains unclear.