Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly expressed disagreement with significant components of a United States-proposed framework to resolve the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. The declaration followed extensive negotiations lasting nearly five hours between Russian officials and a US delegation led by President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, accompanied by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.
In an exclusive interview with India Today preceding his state visit to Delhi, Putin revealed that Moscow had not received a modified version of the peace proposal prior to the Kremlin discussions. “At times we said that yes, we can discuss this, but to that we can’t agree,” Putin stated, without specifying the exact points of contention. Two primary obstacles remain unresolved: the status of Ukrainian territories currently under Russian occupation and the nature of security guarantees for Ukraine.
President Putin reiterated Moscow’s firm demand for complete Ukrainian military withdrawal from the Donbas region, including areas still under Kyiv’s control. Russian forces currently administer approximately 85% of this eastern territory. “Either we take back these territories by force, or eventually Ukrainian troops withdraw,” the Russian leader asserted.
Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s senior foreign policy adviser and principal negotiator, characterized the talks as producing “no compromise” on terminating hostilities. Ushakov further indicated that Russia’s diplomatic stance has been reinforced by recent battlefield advancements.
Meanwhile, US and Ukrainian diplomatic teams are preparing for subsequent discussions in Florida. President Trump characterized the initial negotiations as “reasonably good” while acknowledging the complexity of the process, noting that “it does take two to tango.”
Ukrainian leadership maintains a contrasting perspective on the negotiations. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybhia accused Putin of “wasting the world’s time,” while Ukraine’s ambassador to the US emphasized that they do not “need to wait for promises from Russia.” President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently rejected any territorial concessions and insists on robust security assurances for Ukraine in any settlement.
Zelensky acknowledged that “the world clearly feels that there is a real opportunity to end the war,” but stressed that negotiations must be “backed by pressure on Russia.” Ukrainian officials and European allies accuse Moscow of intentionally prolonging ceasefire discussions.
In a significant development, German publication Der Spiegel reported obtaining a confidential transcript from a European leadership conference call expressing profound concerns about US negotiation tactics. According to an English transcript, French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly cautioned that “there is a possibility that the US will betray Ukraine on the issue of territory without clarity on security guarantees.” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz allegedly warned Zelensky to remain “extremely careful in the coming days,” suggesting that “they are playing games, both with you and with us.” Finnish President Alexander Stubb reportedly emphasized that “we mustn’t leave Ukraine and Volodymyr alone with these guys.”
The Élysée Palace subsequently denied that President Macron “expressed himself in those terms” while declining to provide specific details citing confidentiality. Stubb declined to comment on the report, and Merz has not publicly addressed the allegations.
The geopolitical maneuvering occurs against the backdrop of continued military operations, with Russian forces gradually advancing in southeastern Ukraine despite substantial combat casualties. Moscow currently controls approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory since initiating full-scale invasion in February 2022.