2nd December 2025 – (Moscow) Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Tuesday, following White House signals of strong optimism about a prospective deal to end the war in Ukraine. Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son‑in‑law and informal diplomatic adviser, is also expected to attend.
The encounter follows two days of discussions in Florida between Ukrainian and U.S. officials, including Witkoff and Kushner, aimed at refining a US‑backed peace proposal widely perceived as favourable to Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the talks constructive but acknowledged that difficult issues remain unresolved.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Reuters, that Witkoff’s meeting with Putin is scheduled for the second half of Tuesday. In Paris on Monday, after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, Zelensky reiterated Kyiv’s priorities: safeguarding Ukraine’s sovereignty and securing robust security guarantees. He said territorial questions remain the toughest element, with the Kremlin pressing for Ukraine to cede eastern areas still under Kyiv’s control — a red line for Ukraine.
Witkoff has also conferred with U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Zelensky and Ukraine’s new chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov. Several European leaders joined the Zelensky‑Macron discussions by video link. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the draft proposal had been substantially refined and that the administration is very optimistic, while declining to detail the text.
Putin said last week that he had reviewed a U.S.‑proposed draft that could serve as a basis for a future agreement, though subsequent Kremlin briefings questioned its acceptability after Kyiv and European partners reported securing amendments. Macron stressed there is no finalised peace plan and insisted any framework must be shaped with Ukraine and Europe. He added that decisions on territorial concessions are for Zelensky alone, and that matters such as frozen Russian assets, security guarantees and Ukraine’s EU path require European involvement. The French leader nonetheless praised the Trump administration’s efforts to end the conflict, which began with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and escalated with the full‑scale invasion in 2022.
Concerns in Kyiv and across Europe were sparked by an initial U.S.‑Russia draft circulated in November, which was seen as heavily tilted towards Moscow and included provisions on investing several billions in frozen Russian assets held in Europe, alongside terms for Ukraine’s market access to the EU.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned this week could be pivotal, arguing Moscow seeks to negotiate only with interlocutors offering additional concessions. She cautioned that pressure might be directed at the weaker side for a quick end to hostilities through Ukrainian capitulation, which she said is in no one’s interest.
Despite intermittent Russian engagement with U.S. mediation, several of Moscow’s demands challenge Ukraine’s sovereignty and are unacceptable to Kyiv. Beyond territory, the question of security guarantees remains contentious. Ukraine and European partners press for protections — potentially including NATO membership — to deter future aggression. Russia opposes such guarantees, and Trump has ruled out Ukraine joining the alliance.
Tuesday’s talks come as Moscow claims to have captured the strategic eastern towns of Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk in Russian) and Vovchansk. Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the cities’ fall, and open‑source monitoring indicates neither has been fully seized by Russian forces.
