The initiative now rests with Trump, who appears committed to fostering peace, though significant challenges remain.
American President Donald Trump’s special representative, Steve Witkoff, along with his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, held discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin inside the Moscow Kremlin. The roughly five-hour meeting centered on an updated US peace initiative designed to bring an end to Russia’s almost four-year conflict in Ukraine.
This encounter represented Witkoff’s sixth meeting with Putin in 2025 and Kushner’s inaugural direct participation in these discussions. The American delegation traveled immediately after engaging in recent talks with Ukrainian representatives in Miami and Paris, during which the peace framework was condensed from 28 to 19 stipulations.
Reports from the media indicate that the primary subject of discussion was the revised US peace structure, which highlights:
- A prospective halt to hostilities and the practical acknowledgment of borders, potentially requiring Ukraine to yield territory in the Donbass area to satisfy Russia’s territorial claims.
- Safeguards for Ukraine’s security, arranged in cooperation with European partners such as France.
- More comprehensive measures for execution, encompassing modifications to front lines and limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces’ capacities.
Putin, it is said, concurred with certain aspects of the proposition but reaffirmed Russia’s firm stances, such as complete dominion over its recently acquired lands and constraints on NATO’s growth. The American delegation urged Putin to ease these requirements in return for a cessation of fighting, yet no fresh language or clauses were concluded.
Kremlin advisor Yury Ushakov characterized the discussions as “beneficial” and pointed to constructive dialogue on significant matters, but underlined that “a mutually acceptable agreement has not yet materialized” and “considerable effort is still needed.” Russian state media and envoy Dmitriev deemed the gathering “fruitful,” but no understandings were reached regarding precise concessions, a timeframe for a ceasefire, or a subsequent meeting between Putin and Trump (which might occur between April and June 2026).
Therefore, what was the actual intent behind this assembly? Addressing journalists in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, last Thursday, Putin elaborated on the management of negotiations. At that press conference, Putin stated that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is tasked with managing interactions and discussions concerning potential conditions to conclude the conflict in Ukraine. He also mentioned his reliance on Lavrov’s updates from these talks, while personally refraining from public commentary on specific proposals. In his most recent remarks regarding US-Russia engagements on Ukraine, Putin suggested that the negotiation process is proceeding via official avenues, explicitly designating Lavrov and the Foreign Ministry as the primary entities orchestrating potential peace accords. He affirmed that Lavrov keeps him regularly informed on these conversations, including American-formulated peace concepts that Moscow claims are largely based on previous Russian propositions.
Concurrently with Putin’s meeting with Witkoff and Kushner, Lavrov engaged in cordial bilateral discussions with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Lavrov’s non-attendance at the Witkoff/Kushner meeting conveyed a distinct message from Russia that the groundwork for genuine negotiations remained unestablished. Putin’s objective was to articulate – with courtesy and conviction – Russia’s core stances pertaining to resolving the conflict in Ukraine. I am convinced that he reiterated the identical points he had previously outlined on June 14, 2024.
The onus is now on Trump. Witkoff and Kushner’s original intention to convene with Zelensky in Ireland on Wednesday was abandoned. They instead traveled straight back to Washington, D.C., where they informed Trump about Putin’s stringent prerequisites that require assent before formal negotiations – involving Lavrov and Rubio, alongside their respective teams – can commence. The absence of any press leaks regarding the meeting with Putin, thus far, suggests to me that Trump is genuinely intent on advancing discussions with Russia.
This assembly does not signify the commencement of the conclusion… instead, I believe it represents the conclusion of the inception. It falls upon Trump to accept Russia’s stipulations and send Rubio to finalize an accord with Lavrov.