- By Shivangi Sharma
- Wed, 03 Dec 2025 11:35 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
A five-hour meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and senior US negotiators ended without a breakthrough on a proposed Ukraine peace deal, a top Kremlin aide confirmed early Wednesday. Despite what both sides described as intensive and “productive” diplomacy, Moscow said “no compromise” had been achieved on the most contentious issues dividing Russia and Ukraine.
The talks, held Tuesday in the Kremlin, brought together Putin, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Their visit followed a week of accelerated US efforts to push forward a peace framework intended to end Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
Kremlin: Talks ‘Useful’ But No Agreement Found
Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s longtime foreign policy adviser, told reporters the discussions were “very useful, constructive, and highly substantive,” but acknowledged that “a compromise option was not found.”
According to Ushakov, both sides reviewed several variations of the US-drafted peace proposal, which has undergone multiple revisions since earlier leaks in November suggested it was heavily tilted toward Russian interests.
“We agreed with some points… but some things we criticised,” Ushakov said. “We have not come up with a compromise version yet. A lot of work lies ahead.”
He added that specific treaty language was not discussed. Instead, negotiators “talked about the essence” of the proposed settlement.
Territory And Security Guarantees Remain Sticking Points
The largest gulf between Moscow and Washington, and between Moscow and Kyiv, remains territorial concessions. Putin continues to insist that Ukraine recognise Russian control over areas it still administers. Kyiv and its European backers have categorically rejected territorial surrender.
Security guarantees also remain unresolved, with Ukraine insisting on firm defence commitments from Western nations, while Russia opposes any arrangement that ties Kyiv more closely to NATO or the EU.
Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who also attended the session, described the meeting with US officials as “productive,” but confirmed that “no compromise” had been reached on Ukraine’s borders.
Productive 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/YlkqF0b7tr
— Kirill Dmitriev (@kadmitriev) December 2, 2025
Putin Sends ‘Political Signals’ To Trump
Ushakov said Putin took the opportunity to send “important political signals” and a friendly greeting to Trump through Witkoff. He noted that any future meeting between the Russian and US presidents would depend on progress made at the diplomatic and ministerial levels.
While economic cooperation between Russia and the U.S. was briefly raised, Ushakov said it remained secondary to the territorial and security disputes.