Overview
- Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin for nearly five hours, a session Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov called constructive but said produced no compromise on territory.
- Kirill Dmitriev labeled the talks “productive,” while Ushakov said some American proposals were acceptable and others were not, adding that significant work remains in both capitals.
- Core sticking points remain Russia’s push for full control of Donbas, limits on Ukraine’s armed forces, and a pledge blocking NATO membership for Kyiv.
- The U.S. framework, originally a leaked 28-point draft, has been pared to roughly 19–22 items after Geneva and Florida consultations, though both sides kept the latest substance confidential.
- Witkoff and Kushner are expected to brief Ukrainian officials in Europe within days, as Zelensky says Ukraine awaits signals from the U.S. team; Putin accused European governments of sabotaging talks and issued warnings about readiness to fight if Europe starts a war, while Russia’s claim to have taken Pokrovsk is disputed by Kyiv.