The future of negotiations aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine remains uncertain, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, even after what he described as reasonably good discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and American envoys. The comments came as both Washington and Moscow signaled cautious openness but offered no clear indication of a breakthrough.
According to the Kremlin, Putin accepted parts of the U.S. proposals presented during the meeting, which was held in Moscow and continued late into the night. Russian officials said the talks showed potential for progress and that Putin was prepared to keep working with Washington to search for a compromise.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner led the American delegation. After hours of discussion with senior Russian officials, the pair left the Kremlin early Wednesday morning with no specific agreement in place. They are expected to meet with Ukrainian representatives in Miami on Thursday as part of the ongoing diplomatic effort.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said he had been briefed by Witkoff and Kushner and was told that Putin appeared open to negotiation and interested in reaching a deal. Trump added that despite this willingness, the next steps in the process were not yet clear.
Trump noted that progress will depend on both sides cooperating and said the United States already has an understanding with Ukraine on important elements of a potential arrangement. However, he did not provide further details on what that framework includes.
Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said the talks touched on Ukraine’s possible future relationship with NATO, a topic that remains highly sensitive in discussions with Moscow. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected suggestions that Putin dismissed the U.S. proposals outright. He said a direct exchange of views took place for the first time in this format and that while some points were accepted, others could not be agreed upon. He described this as a routine part of searching for common ground.
Peskov added that Russia appreciates Trump’s efforts but emphasized that the Kremlin will not provide a step-by-step commentary on the discussions, saying that public scrutiny may complicate the work. For now, Russian and American experts will continue technical consultations, which both sides hope will lead to more substantive talks between senior leaders.
In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his administration is preparing for continued dialogue with Trump’s representatives. In his nightly address, he stressed that any peace agreement must fully consider Ukraine’s national interests and must ensure a just and durable settlement.
A leaked set of U.S. draft peace proposals in November raised alarm among Ukrainian and European officials, who said the documents appeared to concede too much to Moscow. European countries later drafted their own counterproposal. During follow up discussions in Geneva, U.S. and Ukrainian officials said they had prepared an updated framework that they believe better protects Ukraine’s core priorities.
Putin later accused European powers of attempting to undermine the talks with proposals he said Russia could not accept, adding another layer of uncertainty to an already complex process.
