Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that several elements in a U.S. proposal to end the war in Ukraine are unacceptable to Moscow, signalling that a negotiated settlement remains far from reach.
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His remarks, published Thursday, come as U.S. President Donald Trump spearheads the most intensive diplomatic effort since Russia launched its full-scale invasion nearly four years ago. The talks continue to face major obstacles — particularly over whether Ukraine would be required to cede territory and what long-term security guarantees the country would receive against future Russian aggression.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner were expected to meet Thursday with a Ukrainian delegation led by Rustem Umerov following their earlier Kremlin discussions, though there was no confirmation that the meeting took place. The session at the Shell Bay Club in Florida had been tentatively scheduled for 5 p.m. EST, according to an official familiar with the arrangements.
Putin said his five-hour talks with Witkoff and Kushner in Moscow were “necessary,” “useful” and “highly specific,” but also “difficult.” He revealed that some parts of the American plan — originally a 28-point proposal later trimmed to 27 and divided into four thematic packages — were rejected outright by the Kremlin.
“We went through virtually every point,” Putin told India Today before landing in New Delhi for a state visit. “Some we can discuss, others we cannot agree to.”
Trump said afterward that his envoys left Moscow believing that Putin genuinely wants a deal. The Kremlin leader praised the U.S. diplomatic push but declined to detail which proposals were unacceptable, arguing that doing so could disrupt the process Washington is attempting to establish.
Putin reiterated that Russia intends to take full control of the eastern Donetsk region, saying the outcome will be either military conquest or Ukrainian withdrawal.
European leaders, largely sidelined as Washington engages directly with Moscow and Kyiv, have questioned Putin’s sincerity. In Beijing, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Chinese leader Xi Jinping to use his influence to press Russia toward a ceasefire, though Xi stopped short of endorsing France’s position, saying only that China supports “all efforts that work towards peace.”
Meanwhile, Russian strikes continued across Ukraine. Missile and drone attacks overnight wounded civilians in Kryvyi Rih and Odesa, while artillery shelling in Kherson killed a six-year-old girl. Kherson’s main thermal power plant shut down after days of Russian bombardment, prompting emergency efforts to provide heating for tens of thousands of residents.
Ukrainian officials said Russia launched two ballistic missiles and 138 drones overnight. In occupied Kherson, Russia-installed leader Vladimir Saldo said a Ukrainian drone strike on a vehicle killed two men and injured a 68-year-old woman.
