Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia is “ready” for war with Europe if it is provoked, as US-led peace talks in Moscow ended without significant progress towards resolving the Ukraine conflict. The Russian president accused European powers of sabotaging peace efforts during a meeting with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin.
Following the five-hour talks, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the two sides were “neither further nor closer to resolving the crisis in Ukraine”. He described the discussions as “constructive” but acknowledged that no agreement had been reached on key issues, including potential territorial lines in any peace deal. While some American proposals were acceptable, others met with “critical and even negative” reactions from Moscow.
Putin’s combative stance came as Witkoff arrived in Moscow for his sixth visit this year, presenting an updated US peace plan revised to address Ukrainian concerns. However, the Russian leader remained defiant, stating that European demands were “not acceptable” and accusing Europe of “preventing the US administration from achieving peace”. He added: “Russia does not intend to fight Europe, but if Europe starts, we are ready right now.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed some progress had been made on security guarantees, but acknowledged the difficulty of finding terms acceptable to both Kyiv and Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was “awaiting signals” from the US delegation after its meeting with Putin, and expressed readiness for a meeting with Trump. He noted that the updated peace plan “looks better” but stressed negotiations were “not over yet”.
Despite the diplomatic efforts, there remains significant scepticism that Russia is willing to make concessions. Zelenskyy has objected to provisions in the original 28-point plan that would require Ukraine to cede territory and limit its military size, insisting on clear security guarantees. The US delegation is expected to meet Zelenskyy in Europe following the Moscow talks.
