Talks between the United States and Russia on ending the nearly four-year war in Ukraine were “constructive” but substantial work remains, a senior adviser to President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday.
Yuri Ushakov, a top Kremlin official, spoke after Putin met U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, in the Kremlin on Tuesday. The discussions, which lasted five hours, focused on the framework of Trump’s peace plan rather than specific text. Ushakov described the talks as “useful, substantive” but stressed that “a compromise hasn’t been found” on territorial issues, which the Kremlin sees as essential for resolving the conflict.
“Some of the American proposals seem acceptable, but others don’t suit us. Work will continue,” Ushakov said. He added that contacts between Moscow and Washington will carry on.
The meeting followed U.S. talks with Ukrainian officials in Florida earlier this week. Trump’s plan, released last month, has drawn criticism for appearing to favor Russia, including calls for Ukraine to cede the Donbas region and abandon NATO aspirations. Negotiators said the framework has been revised but did not provide details.
Putin accused European allies of obstructing peace efforts by demanding changes “absolutely unacceptable to Russia” and said Europe is responsible for blocking progress. He reiterated that Russia has no plans to attack Europe but warned that Moscow is ready to respond if hostilities arise.
European governments, meanwhile, remain concerned that a Russian victory in Ukraine could destabilize the region and threaten other countries. They have provided financial and military support to Kyiv and are pushing to be involved in negotiations to ensure their security interests are considered.
U.S. peace efforts rely heavily on Europe to provide funding and security guarantees for a postwar Ukraine, although European officials say they were not consulted on the original plan. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, visiting Ireland, emphasized the need for fair play in negotiations and said progress depends on signals from the U.S. delegation in Moscow.
“There is a lot of dialogue, but we need results. Our people are dying every day,” Zelenskyy said, adding he is ready to meet with Trump if talks advance.
The Florida talks narrowed Trump’s original 28-point plan to 20 items, with Ukrainian diplomats seeking stronger European involvement in decision-making. Zelenskyy also warned against Russian disinformation campaigns attempting to influence negotiations.
Russia claimed on Monday that it captured the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk, but Ukrainian officials denied the report, calling it propaganda. Ukrainian forces are reinforcing logistics routes to supply troops in the area.
Ushakov said any potential meeting between Putin and Trump would depend on the progress of ongoing negotiations. Both sides continue to work toward resolving differences, though major disputes over territory and security guarantees remain unresolved.