Russia Putin spoke at length with US representatives about the war in Ukraine
In the struggle for a possible end to the war in Ukraine, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin spoke for around five hours with US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. This was reported by the Russian state news agency Tass in Moscow. On the social network X, Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev called the negotiations productive and added the emoji of a dove of peace.
03.12.2025, 00:04
SDA
Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said that the Americans now wanted to inform US President Donald Trump about the results. It had been agreed not to make the negotiating line public. Ushakov spoke of constructive, substantive and useful talks.
Advisor: No closer to a solution yet
After the talks, the sides were no further away from peace, but also no closer to a solution to the conflict. There is still a lot of work to be done, said Ushakov. For example, there is still no compromise on the issue of the cession of Ukrainian territories demanded by Russia. Putin is demanding the entire Donbass, although he does not control parts of it. Kiev has always rejected this.
According to Ushakov, the meeting was also about economic cooperation between Russia and the USA. "The enormous prospects for future economic cooperation between the two countries were discussed," said Ushakov. Moscow is particularly interested in the lifting of the tough sanctions imposed by the USA, which are putting Russia's economy under increasing pressure. Putin had given the US representatives friendly, but also political signals for Trump. Ushakov was not more specific.
Trump's son-in-law at meeting in the Kremlin for the first time
Witkoff traveled from the Kremlin to the US embassy in Moscow, Russian media reported. It was his sixth meeting with Putin this year. Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, took part in such a meeting for the first time. Both represent the part of the US administration that is focusing on a rapid resumption of economic relations with Russia.
The current status of the US peace plan is not publicly known. A peace plan with 28 points was made public at the end of November. However, it has undergone changes in recent days because many of the proposals were unacceptable to both Ukraine and the European states. Most recently, the USA and Ukraine worked bilaterally on the plan.
Putin threatens the Europeans
Putin had his troops invade Ukraine more than three and a half years ago. Immediately before the meeting with Witkoff, he used harsh words to threaten Ukraine and its supporters in Europe. If Europe wanted to fight and started to do so, Russia would be ready to do so immediately, he said.
Speaking to journalists, Putin criticized the changes that were made to Trump's original 28-point peace plan at the urging of the Europeans. Europe's proposals were aimed at blocking the peace process, Putin told the Interfax agency.
Russia was prepared to involve the Europeans in negotiations. However, this would require them to recognize the realities on the battlefield in Ukraine. "We have no intention of fighting with Europe, I have already said that 100 times. But if Europe wants to fight again and starts, then we are ready to do so immediately," he said.
In view of Trump's plan, the EU states have made it clear on several occasions that they will not accept a violent shifting of borders in Europe. Only Ukraine could decide on its territories.
Russia insists on conquering Pokrovsk
In order to reinforce the image of Russia's military superiority, the Kremlin announced on Monday that the city of Pokrovsk, which had been fought over for more than a year, had been completely conquered. This was denied by the Ukrainian General Staff in Kiev. Observers at the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) also initially remained skeptical. Putin and the military leadership, on the other hand, stood by their account. The Kremlin chief offered journalists the opportunity to see the situation in Pokrovsk for themselves.
Putin: Could cut Ukraine off from the sea
Following attacks on Russian tankers and ships calling at Russian-controlled ports, Putin threatened Ukraine with harsh reactions. "We are expanding our attacks on port facilities and ships calling at Ukrainian ports," the Kremlin leader announced. As an extreme measure, he threatened to cut Ukraine off from the sea.
Putin described the attacks in neutral waters as piracy and blamed them directly on the Ukrainian armed forces. "If this continues, we will consider countermeasures against ships from countries that help Ukraine in these acts of piracy," said Putin. In recent days, two tankers from the so-called Russian shadow fleet in the Black Sea were attacked with naval drones.
Trump: We are no longer paying for the war in Ukraine
Trump commented on the peace talks at a meeting of his cabinet in Washington. "As you know, we have a problem with a war that our people are trying to resolve with Russia and Ukraine," he said, taking the opportunity to emphasize his change of course in Ukraine policy: The US was no longer financially committed to the Ukraine war, he said. His predecessor Joe Biden, on the other hand, had handed out billions of dollars "like candy". "I'm not giving anything away", said Trump. Now the Europeans were buying weapons in the USA in order to pass them on to Ukraine.
Zelensky emphasizes necessary security guarantees
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelensky visited Ireland. He is waiting for the results of the Russian-American talks in Moscow and is prepared for anything, he said in Dublin according to translators. If there is a chance for a quick, comprehensive solution, negotiations will continue at the highest level. He was also prepared for a meeting with US President Donald Trump. However, the head of state did not rule out the possibility that no breakthrough would be achieved.
Selensky reiterated the demand for security guarantees for a long period of time. "We must end the war in such a way that Russia does not return within a year with the third invasion in ten years," he said. "They have not achieved their goal of occupying our state." Selenskyj had visited Paris on Monday.
