Russian President Vladimir Putin said some proposals for a U.S. plan to end the war in Ukraine were unacceptable to the Kremlin, suggesting in comments published Thursday that any deal is still a long way off.
US President Donald Trump has launched his most aggressive diplomatic effort yet to halt fighting in Ukraine, which is now in its fourth year. But the effort is again running into difficult demands, particularly over whether Ukraine must surrender land to Russia and how it can remain safe from future Russian aggression.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are scheduled to meet with a Ukrainian delegation led by Rustem Umerov later on Thursday, following talks between their American counterparts and Putin in the Kremlin.
The meeting at the Shell Bay Club, a golf facility Witkoff is developing in Hallandale Beach, was tentatively scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET, according to people familiar with the logistics. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting had not yet been officially announced.
Putin said Tuesday’s five-hour meeting with Witkov and Kushner was “necessary” and “useful” but also “difficult work” and that some of the proposals were unacceptable.
Putin spoke to India Today television channel before arriving in New Delhi on Thursday for a state visit. Prior to broadcasting the full interview, Russian state news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti quoted parts of his remarks.
TASS reported that Putin said during Tuesday’s meeting that “each point had to be considered” of the US peace proposal, “which is why it took so long.”
“This was a necessary dialogue and it was very specific,” he said, adding that Moscow was ready to discuss it, but added that “we cannot agree to” other terms.
Trump said Wednesday that Witkoff and Kushner left their marathon session confident that Putin wants the war to end. “They had a very strong impression that he wanted a deal,” he added.
Putin declined to elaborate on what Russia would accept or reject, and other officials did not provide details of the talks.
“I think it’s premature, because it could simply disrupt the operational structure of the peace effort,” Tass said, quoting Putin.
European leaders, sidelined by Washington, have accused Putin of feigning interest in Trump’s peace campaign while U.S. officials speak directly with Moscow and Kiev.
French President Emmanuel Macron met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing and sought to engage him in pressuring Russia for a ceasefire. Xi, who has been a strong diplomatic supporter of President Putin, did not explicitly say he would respond to France’s call, but said, “China supports all efforts toward peace.”
MNA