Russian President Vladimir Putin (2-L) meets with U.S. Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner (both not pictured) at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, 02 December 2025. /VCG
High-level talks between Russia and the United States over a U.S.-proposed peace plan for the Russia-Ukraine conflict ended late on Tuesday without a breakthrough, casting further doubt on prospects for a negotiated settlement.
On the evening of December 2 local time, Russian President Vladimir Putin met at the Kremlin with U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. Putin aide Yuri Ushakov and Russian Direct Investment Fund chief Kirill Dmitriev also attended the nearly five-hour meeting.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, visiting Ireland at the time, said Kyiv was closely monitoring the meeting and would await signals from Washington.
Talks address territorial issues but yield no deal
Following the meeting, Ushakov described the discussions as "very useful, constructive and substantive." He confirmed that territorial issues were addressed but said both sides agreed not to disclose details.
He said multiple versions of possible settlement frameworks were explored and the extended talks allowed for a deeper review of proposals for de-escalation in Ukraine. But he acknowledged that no compromise had been reached, saying some U.S. proposals were acceptable to Moscow while others were not.
Ushakov said contacts would continue at the level of presidential aides and that a possible meeting between Putin and Trump would depend on progress in resolving the conflict.
Putin rejects Europe's revisions to peace plan
Putin said on Tuesday that amendments proposed by European governments to the U.S.-drafted peace plan were intended to obstruct negotiations and were "unacceptable" to Russia.
"All these changes are aimed at one thing – blocking the entire peace process altogether, putting forward demands that are absolutely unacceptable to Russia," Putin said, adding that European states' goal is to blame Russia for the collapse of this peace process.
He added that Russia has no intention of going to war with Europe, "but if Europe suddenly wants to fight us and does, we are ready right now."
The original 28-point plan drafted by the White House was criticized by Ukraine and European governments as overly favorable to Russia. Representatives of the United States, Ukraine and European countries met in Geneva on November 23, where the plan was revised and reduced to 19 points. The updated draft has not been released publicly.
Zelenskyy calls for transparency
Zelenskyy reiterated the need for openness in ongoing diplomatic efforts.
"What matters is that everything is fair and transparent. That there are no games played behind Ukraine's back. That nothing is decided without Ukraine," Zelenskyy wrote on X.
He said the most sensitive issues involve territory, frozen Russian assets and security guarantees for Ukraine. Negotiating teams would continue work on these topics, he said, adding that there are no simple solutions but that he is prepared to take necessary decisions.
Peace prospects unclear as fighting continues
Despite earlier expressions of optimism from Washington, Tuesday's talks did little to clarify the path forward, and fighting on the ground continues.
Russia's Defense Ministry said on Tuesday its forces had taken control of the settlements of Zeleny Gai and Dobropillya in the Zaporizhzhia region and had struck Ukrainian fuel and energy facilities, ammunition depots and temporary deployment sites of Ukrainian forces and foreign fighters in 141 locations.
Ukraine's commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Ukrainian forces had blocked infiltration routes used by Russian sabotage groups and were gradually pushing Russian troops back from the northern Kupyansk area and several other sectors. He said Ukrainian troops were clearing Russian units from inside Kupyansk, calling Moscow's reported gains "only propaganda."
On December 1, Russia claimed to have captured Krasnoarmeysk – known in Ukraine as Pokrovsk – in Donetsk, as well as the city of Vovchansk in Kharkiv. Kyiv denied the claims, saying Russian troops had only briefly entered part of Pokrovsk under heavy fog to raise a flag before withdrawing for publicity.
On Tuesday, Putin invited foreign journalists, including Ukrainian reporters, to visit Pokrovsk and Kupyansk to "see with their own eyes" that the areas were under Russian control.