Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to journalists throughout his press convention on the VTB Funding Discussion board ‘Russia Calling!’, on December 2, 2025 in Moscow, Russia. Putin visited an annual discussion board, hosted by the VTB Group, prior his speak with U.S. particular envoy Steve Witkoff.
Contributor | Getty Photographs Information | Getty Photographs
Peace talks held between the U.S. and Russia on Tuesday did not ship a breakthrough with Russian President Vladimir Putin forward of discussions doubling down on threats towards Europe, saying Russia was “prepared” for battle with the Continent.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s particular envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner had traveled to Moscow for talks with Putin and his closest aides on a draft peace plan geared toward ending the just about four-year battle in Ukraine.
The talks lasted 5 hours, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov informed reporters after the discussions, saying the assembly targeted on a U.S.-drafted peace plan and was “very helpful, constructive, and extremely informative” however that there was extra work to be executed.
“We agreed on some issues … whereas others triggered criticism, and the President [Putin] additionally made no secret of our important, even destructive, angle towards plenty of proposals. However the principle factor is that we had a really helpful dialogue,” Ushakov stated, in feedback translated by NBC Information.
It is unclear which peace plan was introduced to the Russians after an preliminary 28-point plan, secretly devised by the U.S. and Russia, was introduced to Ukraine just a few weeks in the past.
Kyiv and its European allies unexpectedly amended that plan, whittling it right down to 19 proposals, with Ukrainian officers travelling to Florida final weekend for extra talks on the proposals.
Russian President Vladimir Putin at a gathering with U.S. particular envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner on the Kremlin, geared toward discovering an answer to finish the Ukraine battle, in Moscow, Russia on December 2, 2025.
Kremlin Press Workplace/Anadolu by way of Getty Photographs
Russia and Ukraine are miles aside in terms of central components of a framework peace settlement, with Moscow demanding that Kyiv cede partially occupied territory within the east of the nation to Russia, and disagreeing over Western-backed safety ensures for Ukraine.
Putin aide Ushakov stated Tuesday that each side had mentioned a 27-point plan and had obtained extra paperwork from the U.S. aspect, though he didn’t elaborate as to what these contained. He added that Russia and the U.S. had agreed to not disclose particulars of the talks.
Talking to reporters on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated it will be incorrect to say Putin had rejected the proposals put to him by the U.S. delegation.
“A direct trade of views befell yesterday for the primary time,” Peskov stated, in feedback cited by the Reuters information company. “Some issues had been accepted, some issues had been marked as unacceptable — this can be a regular working means of discovering a compromise.”
‘Prepared’ for battle
The talks in Moscow got here after Putin launched a tirade in opposition to Europe, saying that its counter peace proposals had been “completely unacceptable” for Russia, and that the area’s management had “no peace agenda.”
“We’re not going to battle with Europe; I’ve stated {that a} hundred occasions. But when Europe abruptly desires to battle us and begins, we’re prepared proper now,” Putin informed journalists forward of his assembly with Witkoff and Kushner.
European officers have expressed consternation in latest weeks that they, and Ukraine, had been excluded from preliminary talks between the U.S. and Russia that led to an authentic draft peace plan seen to closely favor Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks, as he visits the command put up of the Russian forces “West” grouping in the midst of Russia-Ukraine battle, in unidentified location, on this nonetheless picture taken from video launched Nov. 20, 2025.
Kremlin.ru | Through Reuters
EU international coverage chief Kaja Kallas stated Monday that “this week may very well be pivotal for diplomacy. It’s clear that Russia doesn’t need peace, and due to this fact we have to make Ukraine as sturdy as doable.”
Europe may have watched Tuesday’s talks in Russia intently. There are issues that Trump, who has appeared to have a hotter relationship with Putin than with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at occasions, may throw his assist behind Russia’s peace proposals in a bid to finish the battle sooner somewhat than later.
Keen to look optimistic over the prospect of peace, Zelenskyy informed Irish lawmakers on Tuesday that Ukraine was “nearer to peace than ever earlier than” and that there was a “actual, actual likelihood” of an settlement after talks with Washington.
No hurry for a deal
Geopolitical consultants say the Kremlin is keen to eke out the peace course of for so long as doable, with Russia sustaining that it has the benefit on the battlefield and may extract heavy concessions from Ukraine within the peace course of.
Paul Skinner, funding director at Wellington Administration, was additionally pessimistic over any near-term progress towards peace.
“We predict the Ukraine-Russia story goes to grind on, and on, and on,” he informed CNBC’s “Squawk Field Europe” on Wednesday.
“It is most unlikely we’ll get a decision. Whereas Putin continues to be making floor, he is unlikely to sue for peace. I am afraid that our prognosis, and it has been from the beginning, is that that is going to be a really lengthy drawn-out drawback.”
Michael Froman, president of the Council on Overseas Relations, stated it was in Putin’s “curiosity simply to maintain the method going, to have an extended means of diplomatic engagement.”
“He desires to have a broader dialog about Russia’s reintegration with the West and relations with america, business agreements with america, and to make this lengthy and drawn out whereas he continues to bomb Ukraine’s vitality infrastructure and makes incremental progress on the bottom,” Froman informed CNBC’s “Squawk Field” on Tuesday.
Amos Hochstein, TWG International managing companion and former senior advisor to the president within the Biden administration, agreed that Russia would probably drag its heels over a deal.
“I believe it is troublesome to get to a degree of a deal the place a whole lot of territory needs to be given up by the Ukrainians in return for safety ensures which can be a bit free and flimsy, and for the Ukrainians who fought a lot over the past a number of years, that is arduous to swallow,” he stated Tuesday on CNBC’s “Squawk Field.”
“I believe the issue is that the Ukrainians in all probability can compromise in a few of this, however any concessions they’d get from the U.S. on that deal could be troublesome to get the Russians to comply with [as they] rely upon the battle, need to win, but additionally have a battle financial system.”
“The Russians will not be in a rush for a deal right here,” he added.
