US envoys headed to Moscow to discuss Ukraine peace plan with Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin and American President Donald Trump will meet to discuss Washington’s proposed peace plan to end the Ukrainian conflict.

The White House expressed its “very optimistic” about achieving a deal before the meeting in Moscow on Tuesday. Ukraine is concerned that despite meeting with US officials on Sunday and Monday, the proposal still reflects Russian demands that are difficult to accept.

As part of the renewed US diplomatic efforts to put an end to the conflict in Ukraine, which began in February 2022 when Moscow carried out a full-scale invasion of its neighbor, special envoy Steve Witkoff and president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner makes a visit to the Russian capital.

Trump, who had promised to resolve the conflict right away during his election campaign, has expressed disappointment that achieving that outcome has turned out to be more challenging than expected.

A 28-point draft proposal was leaked last week. It quickly received negative reviews as a “wish list” for Russia, calling for Ukraine to abandon NATO efforts, limit its military, and give up vast territory.

The original plan has since been modified, with the first meeting between Ukrainian and US officials on Sunday and Monday, followed by input from Kyiv and its allies in Europe.

The proposal’s full details have not been made public in its current form.

However, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president, stated on Monday evening that the “biggest challenge” in the ongoing negotiations is still to be preserving Ukraine’s “territorial integrity.

Putin has repeatedly stated that Moscow is willing to talk peace and that the most recent US proposals serve as a “basis for future agreements” in general.

He has also threatened that Russian forces will advance if Ukraine rejects a deal.

In recent months, Russian troops have made some headway on the front line in eastern Ukraine, which has seen little change in the course of years of attritional conflict.

The Ukrainian troops must leave their holding areas before fighting will end. We will use armed means to accomplish this if they don’t leave. That’s it, Putin said last week.

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, said megaphone diplomacy was ineffective when describing Witkoff and Kushner’s upcoming visit.

Moscow has since reiterated its commitment to a ceasefire that does not fulfill its highest expectations, which Kyiv and its allies fear would leave Ukraine at risk.

“Looks better,” the phrase.

Zelenskyy said the most difficult aspect of the most complicated issue is the fact that the most complicated aspect of the conflict is “the most complicated issue” but that the latest peace plan “looks better” following discussions with European and US officials in Paris on Monday.

At a joint press conference in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron said the flurry of diplomatic activity “could be a turning point,” but he also said that Ukraine must be the one to determine its own territorial boundaries.

More than 19% of Ukraine is under Russian control, up one percentage point from what it was two years ago. However, according to pro-Ukrainian maps, they have advanced this year at the fastest rate since 2022.

Putin’s military chiefs informed him on Monday that Pokrovsk, a strategic front-line town, had been taken over by Russian forces.

On Tuesday, Ukraine refuted that claim, saying that its forces are now occupying the northern portion of the important logistics hub and are launching offensives against Russian positions in the south.