US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday, the Kremlin confirmed, as Washington presses for a deal to end the Ukraine war.
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, serving as an outside adviser, will join Witkoff for the Putin-Witkoff talks.
The meeting follows two days of US-Ukraine negotiations in Florida, where Witkoff and Kushner refined a US-backed peace plan initially seen as favouring Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the talks “constructive” but noted “tough issues” remain, including territorial concessions and security guarantees.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov scheduled the Putin-Witkoff talks for Tuesday afternoon.
Zelenskyy in Paris: Sovereignty first
Zelenskyy met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday, a day after US talks. He stressed Kyiv’s priorities: full sovereignty and robust security guarantees, ruling out ceding eastern territories still under Ukrainian control.
Macron echoed this, insisting any plan must involve Ukraine and Europe and that territorial decisions rest with Zelenskyy. He praised Trump’s efforts to end the conflict, which began with Russia’s 2014 Crimea annexation and escalated in 2022.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned Moscow seeks negotiations only on terms favouring Russia and risks pressuring Ukraine to surrender.
Russian advances: Pokrovsk and Vovchansk “captured”?
The Putin-Witkoff talks come hours after Russia claimed to capture key eastern hub Pokrovsk (Russian: Krasnoarmeysk) and northeastern border town Vovchansk – advances that would mark significant 2025 gains.
Putin visited a command post over the weekend, praising progress in “an important area”. Russia now controls over 19% of Ukraine (115,600 sq km), up 1% from two years ago, with the fastest advances since 2022.
Ukraine made no official acknowledgment of losses. Open-source intelligence suggests neither town has fallen completely.
Ukraine’s counter-disinformation chief Andriy Kovalenko said Moscow exaggerates to pressure Kyiv during US talks.
White House optimism vs Russian red lines
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the US-Ukraine talks as “very productive” and expressed optimism: “We’re hopeful this war can finally end.”
Witkoff also met UK PM Keir Starmer, Zelenskyy and Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov. European leaders joined Zelenskyy’s Macron call virtually.
Last week Putin called the US draft a potential “basis” for agreement but Kremlin officials later questioned it after Kyiv secured revisions.
The original 28-point plan sparked alarm in Kyiv and Europe for echoing Russia’s demands: NATO exclusion, eastern territorial cessions and protections for Russian language/culture/Orthodox Church.
European pushback on US plan
Macron said no “finalised peace plan” exists and territorial concessions can only be decided by Zelenskiy. He highlighted frozen Russian assets, security guarantees and Ukraine’s EU accession as European concerns.
Kallas noted Moscow negotiates only with those offering concessions atop its current gains.
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