Overview
- President Donald Trump told Reuters he believes Vladimir Putin is ready to make a deal and named Volodymyr Zelensky as the reason talks have not concluded.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov publicly agreed with Trump’s assessment and said Russia remains open to talks, while Zelensky said Ukraine is not an obstacle to peace.
- European officials pushed back, with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk saying Russia rejected the U.S. plan and continued missile strikes on Ukrainian cities.
- Negotiations have focused on post-war security guarantees for Ukraine and contentious terms over Donbas, which Kyiv says it cannot cede under its constitution.
- Bloomberg reported that envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may seek another meeting with Putin in Moscow, though Trump and the White House said no visit is scheduled and no date has been set by the Kremlin.