AFP
Donald Trump’s latest bid to secure a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine is moving to Moscow after a round of talks that both Washington and Kyiv described as productive. The effort, led by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, has reached a point where direct engagement with the Kremlin is considered necessary. Russian officials confirmed that President Vladimir Putin will meet the American delegation on Tuesday, raising expectations for a rare moment of potential diplomatic progress.
The talks in Florida over the weekend brought together senior figures from both sides. U.S. representatives included Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Jared Kushner. Ukraine sent several top advisers who worked through the fine points of the evolving peace proposal. Although the meeting did not produce a final deal, both sides reported that the discussion was serious and that progress was made.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said negotiators had addressed several difficult topics. He stressed that a number of unresolved points remain and that Ukraine will accept only an agreement that secures its safety and sovereignty. Kyiv’s team signaled that some U.S. proposals came closer to Ukraine’s red lines than earlier versions but warned that the road ahead is still complicated.
American officials say the revisions to the peace plan aim to balance the need to stop the fighting with long term protection for Ukraine. The current draft is slimmer and more direct than the initial outline circulated earlier in the year. Those earlier iterations drew criticism for granting too much ground to Moscow. According to people familiar with the discussions, the updated framework trims away disputed language and places more weight on security guarantees.
The upcoming meeting in Moscow marks the most consequential step in the process so far. Analysts note that if Putin signals any openness to the new terms, the negotiations could shift into a more intensive phase. Yet there is no indication that Russia has softened its core objectives. The Kremlin has repeatedly made clear that its demands regarding disputed regions have not changed. That stance adds pressure to both the U.S. and Ukrainian delegations as they prepare for the Moscow session.
European governments are also watching the developments with caution. Several EU leaders worry that Kyiv might be pushed toward concessions that could weaken its position in the long term. Some European officials have already voiced concerns that Washington is moving faster than Kyiv prefers. Others, however, see value in testing whether Russia is ready for a serious conversation after months of military deadlock.
What happens in Moscow will shape the next stage of the conflict. If the talks expose irreconcilable differences, the process may stall again. If they reveal a narrow path forward, it could mark the first real opening for a diplomatic settlement since the war began. For now, all sides recognize that the stakes are enormous and that each step must be carefully managed as the delegation heads into the Kremlin.
