President Vladimir Putin has expressed Moscow's disagreement with certain aspects of a US plan aimed at bringing an end to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, following discussions with US negotiators held at the Kremlin.
At times we said that yes, we can discuss this, but to that we can't agree, Putin remarked in an interview with India Today.
While he did not specify the exact points of contention, it is widely acknowledged that critical issues continue to revolve around the fate of Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces and the necessary security guarantees for Ukraine.
US envoy Steve Witkoff, leading the American team in negotiations, is set to meet with Ukrainian representatives in Florida. Former President Donald Trump characterized the talks as reasonably good, yet noted that it remains early to determine the outcome of the discussions, emphasizing that cohesive agreement requires cooperation from both parties.
In his interview with India Today, ahead of a state visit to Delhi, Putin indicated that Russia had not seen a revised version of the US peace proposal before his extensive talks with Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law. He explained that this omission necessitated a detailed review of each discussion point, elongating the scope of their meeting.
Expecting a withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the embattled Donbas region, Putin stated, Either we take back these territories by force, or eventually Ukrainian troops withdraw, a region that is currently under approximately 85% Russian control.
On the Russian side, senior foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov remarked that no compromises were established during the Kremlin discussions, suggesting that the recent advances by Russian forces had fortified Moscow's negotiating position.
US President Trump relayed optimism for a peaceful resolution, though Ukrainian officials have expressed skepticism regarding Russia's intentions. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybhia accused Putin of ineffectively wasting global time, asserting that Ukraine should not wait on ambiguous promises from Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remains resolute against conceding any territory, prioritizing firm security guarantees in any potential agreement. He posited that a genuine opportunity exists to conclude the war, contingent upon active pressure upon Russia, which Kyiv and its European allies accuse of stalling negotiations.
In a post-discussion statement involving US and Ukrainian negotiators, an updated peace framework was purportedly constructed, though the specifics remain undisclosed. Concerns from European leaders were also reported, including fears that the US might compromise Ukraine's territorial claims without clarity on security assurances.
The conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has seen Russian forces currently occupying around 20% of Ukrainian territory, with recent troop maneuvers observed in the southeast despite significant combat losses.
