Putin did not give in: Russia and the US have not found common ground on Ukraine
3 December 04:53
Russia and the United States have made no progress on a possible peace deal on Ukraine during new talks in Moscow. This was stated by Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian dictator, after a five-hour meeting between Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Vitkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports citing The Guardian
The talks, on which the Trump administration had high hopes, ended without a breakthrough – and the Kremlin’s overall rhetoric has only become tougher.
What is known about the talks
Ushakov said that the parties remained “neither closer nor further” from resolving the Ukrainian crisis. Despite the fact that the meeting was called “useful and meaningful,” there was no agreement on key points, primarily on the lines of control at the front and the principles of a potential peace agreement.
According to Ushakov, Moscow expressed a number of comments on the American proposals and did not hide its negative attitude to some of the points. Some details of the negotiations will remain closed. He also hinted that a new summit between Trump and Putin should not be expected in the near future.
The meeting began with an escalation: Putin accused Europe
Before the talks began, Putin made harsh statements, accusing European capitals of “sabotaging peace” and putting pressure on Washington.
“Europe is preventing the US administration from achieving peace in Ukraine. Russia does not plan to fight Europe, but if Europe starts, we are ready right now,” Putin said.
He did not specify which “European demands” he considers unacceptable.
What the US offered
Special Envoy Vitkoff, who came to Moscow for the sixth time this year, brought an updated version of the US peace plan.
The document had previously been finalized with the participation of a Russian official and attempts were made to make it more acceptable to Kyiv.
However:
- Kyiv insisted that the plan had significant flaws;
- European partners opposed a number of provisions that actually played in favor of the Kremlin;
- Moscow said that only the initial version of the US plan, which included significant concessions to Ukraine, was acceptable to it.
Zelenskyy, reacting to the talks, said he was “waiting for signals” from the American delegation and was ready to meet with Trump.
Why the Kremlin is not going to give in
Russia’s position remains as tough as possible: it demands a reduction in the Ukrainian army, restrictions on Western military aid, and the transfer of control over the territories that Ukraine currently holds.
In recent weeks, Putin has openly made it clear that the war will continue if diplomacy does not satisfy Russian demands. Against this backdrop, Moscow has been actively demonstrating successes on the frontline, including the “capture” of Pokrovsk, which Kyiv has denied.
Threats of strikes on ports and ships
Putin has also threatened to increase strikes on Ukrainian ports and ships entering them, following a series of attacks by Ukraine on Russian shadow fleet tankers in the Black Sea. He called Kyiv’s attacks “piracy.”
Reaction of the Kremlin and Russian media
Prior to the visit of the American delegation, Russian propaganda was building narratives about Russia’s “superiority” at the front and the complete futility of the Ukrainian position. For example, Komsomolskaya Pravda wrote that every time “America fails to force Ukraine to surrender.”
The tone of the newspaper was demonstrably self-confident: Moscow would dictate conditions even more harshly.
What’s next?
The parties have not agreed on the key parameters of a future deal. The United States continues its “shuttle diplomacy” to find a peace formula that will satisfy Kyiv and at the same time create conditions for an end to the fighting.
European allies are trying to influence the content of the American plan and prevent decisions that undermine Ukrainian sovereignty.
Moscow, on the other hand, is waiting for a favorable moment, either at the front or in the international arena, to continue putting pressure on Washington and Kyiv.
