Putin Rejects Ukraine Compromise in Moscow Talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to soften his demands to end the war in Ukraine, telling US envoys in Moscow that Russia will not compromise on its hardline positions. The Ukraine compromise talks had raised hopes of a breakthrough after two days of negotiations in Abu Dhabi, but Putin’s remarks doused those hopes.
Putin said he would not water down his demands to control parts of Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed. He also ruled out foreign peacekeeping troops in Ukraine, calling such a deployment a “continuation of war”.
Ukraine compromise: what Putin told the envoys
US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were in Moscow after the Abu Dhabi talks on ending the war. Putin met them at the Kremlin on Thursday in a session that, unusually, began with a lengthy televised exchange.
Putin said there could be no territorial settlement built around “grey” or demilitarised zones between Ukrainian and Russian positions. “For us, there is only one line of demarcation: the state border. Because then it will be clear and obvious: here are we, and here are you,” he said.
He offered a short-term ceasefire in a key frontline city, but gave no sign of movement on the wider issues. The Americans urged him to allow European representatives to sit at the table for the next round of talks.
Witkoff claimed Putin had agreed to let European representatives join the next round. “The Europeans will join at the next meeting, which we consider to be a very important moment because they are our partners and it is important to us that they take part,” he told Russian state television after the meeting.
Putin said Washington must work with its European allies to understand whether they wanted peace or war in Ukraine.
Hopes of a deal fade
Putin’s comments appeared to douse hopes that a peace deal could be within reach. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had said there was a “window of opportunity” to achieve “a result” before 2027.
US envoys had arrived in Moscow on Thursday for the Kremlin talks. The Abu Dhabi round had ended with news of another major prisoner exchange but no public breakthrough.
Kyiv has strongly rejected Putin’s demand to surrender the whole of the eastern Donbas region in return for peace. With talks deadlocked on land, US mediators have tried to steer the discussion towards postwar security guarantees and reconstruction.
Moscow has managed to reframe the discussions as part of a wider debate about European security. Diplomacy remains the stated route, as Pakistan’s foreign minister argued at the Margalla Dialogue. Kyiv and European leaders have urged against a new “Yalta”, a reference to the Second World War-era deal that carved the continent into spheres of influence, and said Russia must stop hostilities first.
Zelensky heads to Dublin as Starshield limits bite
Witkoff and Kushner left the Kremlin on Thursday afternoon and travelled straight to Dublin for talks with Zelensky, who is attending a European summit there.
In Dublin, Zelensky said fresh restrictions had been placed on the Starshield satellite internet service, which is key to Ukraine’s frontline communications. The limits hamper Kyiv’s ability to intercept Russia’s jet-drones, meaning “more of our people are killed”, he said.
Russia has seized swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine since launching its full-scale offensive in 2022, in addition to Crimea, which it annexed in 2014. The push for a settlement has also drawn in other world leaders, with talk of a Yalta-style summit involving Xi, Trump and Putin.
Frequently asked questions
What did Putin refuse in the Moscow talks?
He refused to soften Russia’s demands to control parts of Ukraine it claims to have annexed, and he ruled out foreign peacekeeping troops in Ukraine.
Will Europeans join the next round of Ukraine talks?
Witkoff claimed Putin agreed that European representatives would join the next meeting. Putin said Washington must work with its European allies to understand whether they wanted peace or war.
What is the Starshield service?
Starshield is a satellite internet service that is key to Ukraine’s frontline communications. Zelensky said fresh limits on it hamper Kyiv’s ability to intercept Russian jet-drones.
