The White says US special envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security Council, in Miami on Thursday, following Witkoff’s nearly five-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this week. The Kremlin said the talks produced “no compromise” on ending the war, while President Donald Trump described them as “reasonably good” but warned it was too soon to judge progress.
Ukrainian officials struck a sharper tone. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybhia accused Putin of “wasting the world’s time” and insisted Russia must first “end the bloodshed.” President Volodymyr Zelensky said there was now “a real opportunity to end the war,” but stressed that any agreement must be backed by sustained pressure on Moscow.
US-Russia discussions follow concern among Kyiv and European governments that early U.S. peace proposals tilted too far toward Moscow. Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said some ideas were “more or less acceptable,” while others drew criticism from the Russian leader. Two core disputes remain: the status of occupied Ukrainian territory and future security guarantees for Kyiv. Ukraine and European partners view NATO membership as the most effective long-term safeguard, a stance opposed by both Russia and Trump.
The Kremlin claimed Russia’s recent battlefield gains have strengthened its negotiating position. Moscow asserted that its forces had captured the strategic city of Pokrovsk and other areas, though Ukrainian officials say fighting continues and the city remains contested. Independent assessments show Russia seized roughly 701 sq km of new territory in November and now controls about 19.3% of Ukraine.
Putin signaled willingness to continue meeting US envoys “as many times as needed,” but also accused Europe of blocking diplomacy and said he was “ready for war” if provoked. European leaders dismissed the comments, with the UK calling them “Kremlin claptrap.”
NATO ministers meeting in Brussels welcomed diplomatic engagement but stressed that Ukraine must be supported militarily to negotiate from strength. Meanwhile, the EU announced a landmark deal to end all long-term Russian gas imports before the end of 2027, part of a broader effort to reduce dependence on Moscow. The bloc also proposed raising €90 billion to support Ukraine’s military and government services, though Belgium and the European Central Bank have concerns over using frozen Russian assets to secure the financing.
At the United Nations, the US joined 90 countries demanding that Russia immediately return Ukrainian children forcibly transferred during the conflict. Ukraine says more than 19,000 children have been taken to Russia; the UK estimates at least 6,000 have been placed in “re-education” camps. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin over the deportations, charges Russia denies.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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