The Kremlin has publicly commended former US President Donald Trump for his attempts to broker a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine, while confirming that Vladimir Putin has not dismissed the latest American proposals. This comes after a high-stakes, late-night meeting in Moscow on December 2, 2025, between Putin, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, and the former president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Late-Night Diplomacy in Moscow
While neither side announced a breakthrough after the discussions, which aimed to find a settlement to a conflict nearing its fourth year, the Kremlin signalled a willingness to continue dialogue. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the talks as a 'normal process' and noted it was the first occasion for a direct exchange of opinions, during which Russian officials outlined their 'unacceptable' red lines.
Yuri Ushakov, a senior foreign policy adviser to Putin, later told reporters that despite the engagement, a critical compromise on territory had not been found. He stated that without progress on this issue, Moscow sees 'no resolution to the crisis.' The core dispute centres on the status of four Ukrainian regions that Russia has partially seized, occupies, and now claims as its own territory—a demand Kyiv has repeatedly ruled out.
A Leaked Plan and European Anxieties
The secretive nature of the current negotiations follows the leak of an earlier 28-point peace plan, which was widely criticised for appearing heavily tilted in Moscow's favour. The leaked document included several core Kremlin demands that Ukraine has previously rejected as non-starters.
European leaders, largely sidelined from the US-Russia dialogue, have expressed deep concern. They fear that should Russia achieve its objectives in Ukraine, it would be emboldened to threaten other nations. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna was blunt in his assessment following Putin's latest comments, stating, 'What we see is that Putin has not changed any course... It's pretty obvious that he doesn't want to have any kind of peace.'
This sentiment was echoed by NATO allies meeting in Brussels. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte emphasised the continued need for military support to Ukraine, arguing that 'whilst they [peace talks] take place... we have to make sure that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position.' In a show of support, Canada, Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands announced hundreds of millions in new funding for US weapons to be donated to Kyiv.
Putin's Defiant Stance and Ongoing Conflict
Ahead of the meeting with the US envoys, President Putin struck a characteristically defiant tone. He declared, 'We are not planning to go to war with Europe, but if Europe wants to and starts, we are ready right now.' He further accused Kyiv's European allies of sabotaging peace efforts, claiming they 'don't have a peace agenda, they're on the side of the war.'
Analysts view these statements as a deliberate attempt to sow division between the US and Europe and to preemptively shift blame for any failure in negotiations onto Western nations.
Meanwhile, the brutal war of attrition continues unabated on the ground. On Wednesday, Russian drone strikes on the town of Ternivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region killed two people and injured three, according to regional governor Vladyslav Haivanenko. Ukraine's air force reported that Russia launched 111 strike and decoy drones overnight, while Russia's Defence Ministry claimed to have destroyed 102 Ukrainian drones, with falling debris sparking a fire at an oil depot south of Moscow.
As diplomatic channels remain open but fraught, the path to peace is overshadowed by the unresolved territorial dispute and relentless violence, suggesting that a conclusive end to the war remains distant.
