Putin to Meet US Envoy in Moscow as Peace Talks on Ukraine Advance

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Tuesday, BBC reports. The meeting follows comments from the White House expressing optimism about reaching a deal to end the war in Ukraine. Jared Kushner, acting as an external adviser to the talks, is also expected to attend.

The summit follows two days of discussions in Florida between Ukrainian and US officials, including Witkoff and Kushner, focused on refining a US-backed peace plan viewed as favourable to Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the talks as «constructive» but noted that «some tough issues still have to be worked through.» Speaking after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, Zelensky said Kyiv’s priorities were maintaining sovereignty and securing strong security guarantees.

He added that the «territorial issue is the most difficult» part of any agreement, with the Kremlin pushing for Ukraine to cede territory in the east which Kyiv insists it will never give up.

Witkoff also held discussions with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Zelensky, and Ukraine’s new chief negotiator Rustem Umerov, while several European leaders joined the Zelensky-Macron meeting virtually.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the draft peace plan had «been very much refined» and expressed hope that the war could soon end, though she stressed that negotiators would work out the details.

Last week, Putin said he had reviewed the draft plan and that it could form the «basis» for a future agreement. However, Kremlin officials later signalled uncertainty over whether it would be accepted after Kyiv and European allies secured revisions.