The Kremlin announced on Wednesday that President Vladimir Putin accepted some United States proposals aimed at ending the war in Ukraine while rejecting others, with Russia prepared to meet US negotiators as many times as necessary to reach an agreement. The statement came from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov following marathon talks that stretched into the early morning hours between Putin and US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, alongside Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
When asked directly whether Putin had rejected the US proposals, Peskov clarified that characterization would be inaccurate, stating that a direct exchange of views took place for the first time. He explained that some elements were accepted while others were marked as unacceptable, describing this as a normal working process of finding a compromise.
The Kremlin spokesman added that Russia expressed gratitude to Trump for his efforts but would not provide running commentary on discussions with the United States, as excessive publicity was deemed unlikely to be constructive. The focus now shifts to lower-level negotiations to establish groundwork for future high-level meetings.
Peskov stated that work is currently being carried out at a working expert level, with certain results expected to be achieved that will then become the basis for contacts at the highest level. Earlier, Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov revealed that Moscow had previously received a 27-point set of proposals and then four additional documents, all of which were discussed with Witkoff.
The negotiations have been complicated by European and Ukrainian officials who were alarmed by a leaked set of 28 initial US draft proposals in November, claiming they bowed to Moscow’s main demands. Subsequently, European powers came up with a counter proposal, and the United States and Ukraine agreed on an updated and refined peace framework.
Putin on Tuesday criticized European powers, accusing them of trying to sink the peace talks by proposing ideas that were absolutely unacceptable to Russia. The Russian leader has maintained a firm position throughout negotiations, with territorial issues remaining one of the most contentious points of discussion.
The five-hour meeting at the Kremlin ended without any major breakthrough, though both sides described the talks as useful and constructive. Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev posted a single word on X after the meeting: “Productive”. However, no meeting between Trump and Putin has been scheduled, with future presidential level contact dependent on progress made at the expert level.
Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, indicated that Witkoff and Kushner briefed him about the talks by telephone and conveyed their impression that Putin would like to make a deal, though what comes out of the meeting remains unclear. A White House official confirmed that Witkoff and Kushner were scheduled to meet with Ukrainian officials in Miami on Thursday to continue the diplomatic push.
The complex negotiations reflect the challenging path ahead for ending the nearly four-year conflict, with Russia, Ukraine, the United States, and European powers each holding distinct positions on key issues including territorial control, security guarantees, and the framework for any potential settlement.
