Putin's Bold Stance: Russia Open to Peace but Prepared for Conflict in Europe

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Key Points

US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at peace talks in Moscow.
The initial US plan drew strong criticism from Ukraine and European allies for appearing too favourable to Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insists any agreement must end the war completely and not merely pause hostilities.

Top US negotiators aiming to end the war in Ukraine have met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a high-stakes meeting in Moscow.

Putin, who received Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and US special envoy Steve Witkoff in the Kremlin, signalled earlier that his forces were ready to fight on to achieve Russia’s initial war goals.

Just before the meeting, Putin warned Europe that it would face swift defeat if it went to war with Russia, and he dismissed European counter-proposals on Ukraine as being absolutely unacceptable to Russia.

“They are on the side of war,” Putin said of the European powers.

“It’s evident that these alterations aim solely to obstruct the peace process entirely, presenting demands that Russia finds utterly unacceptable,” stated a source familiar with the ongoing negotiations.

Putin said Russia did not want war with Europe, but that if Europe started one, it would end so swiftly that there would be no one left for Russia to negotiate with.

The meeting is a crucial moment for Ukraine in what could be a fraught week following days of frantic diplomacy kicked off by a unilateral US plan to bring peace, which has since been revised under pressure from Ukraine and its European backers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that any plan must end the war for good, and not just lead to a pause in the fighting that began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

The Trump administration has said it is “optimistic” it can help end Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War Two.

Kushner and Witkoff were to present Putin with the new version of the US plan, which has been hammered out after the initial version raised fears in Ukraine that it made too many concessions to Russia.

After their Moscow visit, Kushner and Witkoff could go on to meet a Ukrainian delegation as soon as Wednesday, potentially in Brussels, a senior Ukraine official told AFP.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remarked that the United States intended to provide an update directly to Ukraine following their recent discussions. This comment came during his visit to Ireland, where he was seeking to bolster European backing.

“Our common task is to end the war, not just to achieve a pause in hostilities,” Zelenskyy said, adding: “A dignified peace is needed.”

Putin, however, appeared to send a hawkish message shortly before the US talks started.

Zelenskyy further noted that the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, recently overtaken by Russian forces, serves as a strategic point for achieving the objectives initially outlined in Russia’s so-called special military operation, a term used to describe the prolonged conflict.

European powers are worried that the US and Russia could strike a deal over their heads or force Ukraine into making unfair concessions.

Last month, a 28-point proposal from the US closely mirrored Moscow’s demands, sparking allegations that Russia might have had a hand in its creation—a claim the US firmly rejected.

Bloomberg last month reported on an audio recording showing that Witkoff helped coach Russian officials on how Putin should speak to Trump.

Zelenskyy has said he expects to discuss key issues with Trump, including on territory, and suggested Russia’s real motivation for the US talks was to ease Western sanctions.