The Russian-US negotiations on the Ukraine conflict have concluded in the Kremlin after almost five hours of talks involving Russian President Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff.
The discussions were focused on the key parts of an American-backed peace framework, which initially revolved around a 28-point draft that leaked to the media last month, leaving Vladimir Zelensky’s Western European backers blindsided and sidelined.
According to Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov, the US delegation presented four more documents concerning the peace settlement during the Kremlin talks.
The key questions of territory – which Zelensky has warned about in his media comments – security guarantees, NATO aspirations, and restrictions on Ukraine’s military, all of which have been well-flagged as deal-breakers by Moscow, were all discussed, with Ushakov answering a question on the topic by referring to the “vast potential” for cooperation between Russia and the US.
Since the latest US peace initiative began, Zelensky’s inner circle has been exposed as corrupt while his forces have suffered significant territorial losses on the front line. The alleged initial peace document has also been the subject of several rounds of talks and much megaphone diplomacy.
Prior to Tuesday’s talks in Moscow, Witkoff met a Ukrainian delegation – minus former Zelensky aide Andrey Yermak, who has been fired – in Florida for four hours, which officials described as productive, but media sources said were “not easy,” widely assumed to refer to the question of territory.
Although Zelensky has officially ruled out any concessions to Moscow, the discussions in the Russian capital were expected to focus on the territorial questions that have been exacerbated by Kiev’s multiple frontline setbacks, amid maximalist demands from the EU and ongoing diplomacy from the US.
THIS LIVE FEED HAS ENDED.
02 December 2025
The next summit between Putin and Trump will depend on the progress future talks achieve, Ushakov has said.
“A possible meeting at the presidential level will depend on how much progress we can make along this line,” he told journalists. “We will continue [talks] at the level of representatives and assistants.”
“Some American proposals are acceptable to Russia, while others are not,” the aide added. He noted that the territorial issue was also discussed at the meeting.
Responding to the question of whether peace had become closer or further following these talks, Ushakov said, “Definitely not further.”
Ushakov has told the press that his American counterparts said they would be traveling back to the US and not through western Europe.
No compromises found as of yet, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said after the meeting which lasted almost five hours. A meeting betweenPutin and Trump is not currently planned, he added.
“We discussed the substance, not specific wording and solutions. The parties see enormous potential for cooperation,” Ushakov said.
Witkoff has arrived at the US Embassy in Moscow following the negotiations, according to RIA Novosti.
Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev has tweeted his thoughts on the five hours of talks.
The negotiations between Putin, Witkoff and Kushner are now finished, according to RT reporters in the Kremlin.
“I think the longer they talk the better it is,” director of international affairs, former adviser to the Bush and Clinton administrations, Steve Gill, has told RT.
The longer the meeting is, the more we can hope that it is actually aimed at solving all the issues in the Ukrainian conflict, Gill said. He added that the meeting clearly shows that Europe’s point of view doesn’t matter anymore.
Meanwhile, it’s been four hours since the beginning of the talks. Russian journalists are waiting for their conclusion.
The Ukraine conflict is not “an easy situation” to settle, President Donald Trump has said.
“Our people are over in Russia right now to see if we can get it settled. Not an easy situation, let me tell you. What a mess,” he said in a cabinet meeting.
“It’s a war that never would have happened if I were President.”
Russian media is watching the talks carefully. According to RIA Novosti, RBC and TASS reports, the most important thing you need to know is that talks have been going for over three hours, or as Politika says “the fourth hour of talks has begun.” Its now 23:30 in Moscow but we will be here to the end.
In case you have just joined us, here are the key developments up to now
• The meeting between Putin and US envoy Witkoff together with their teams has been going on for some three hours
• There was a rumor that Ushakov had begun briefing the media, but that seems to have been just a rumor
• The center of gravity in the US peace push has shifted to Russia for the first time since Washington revived negotiations
• Before departing for his meeting with Witkoff, Putin dismissed out of hand any contribution from Kiev’s European backers, citing their failure to recognize reality and accusing them of trying to disrupt the US-led process
• Putin also warned of blocking Ukraine’s maritime access should drone attacks on boats from third countries carrying Russian oil continue
• Vladimir Zelensky is also awaiting the outcome of the talks
• It is unlikely that the details will be released to the media before necessary diplomacy can take place
• Ukraine’s front line is deteriorating, and several key positions have shifted in Moscow’s favor over the past 48 hours
• Political turmoil in Kiev is deepening, ministers are being removed, and Zelensky’s inner circle has been exposed as corrupt
• Brussels is absent, divided, and without a coherent negotiating track; its proposals have been dismissed by Moscow as “unconstructive.”
The seating arrangement at the current US-Russia talks has drawn journalists’ attention, with footage showing the Russians and the Americans facing each other along the long sides of the Kremlin’s famous oval table – unlike the 2022 meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and then German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, when Putin and his guests sat at opposite ends of the 20-foot table that became a symbol of diplomatic distance.
Ukraine is “waiting for signals” from the US delegation which is currently in Moscow, Zelensky has said in a post on X.
”We will receive signals of one kind or another. If the signals work out in a certain way – if it is fair play with our partners – then we may meet with the American delegation very quickly,” he wrote without elaborating what exactly he meant.
Russian media has showed the traditional dishes sampled by Witkoff and Kushner ahead of their meeting with Putin in “Savva” restaurant.
The pair reportedly sat down at a Moscow restaurant for a lineup of fancy Russian classics: posikunchiki (pan-fried meat pies), kulebyaka (richly layered pie), and a venison fillet, all wrapped up with an apple pie for dessert.
The lunch may have cost them about 25,000 rubles ($322).
Savva is in the famous Metropol hotel, known as a fulcrum for city visitors, perhaps made famous by the series starring Ewan McGregor, ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’. Restored in the ’90s it became Russia’s first 5-star hotel.
Russia has no intention to fight with Europe, Putin has said, but warned that “if Europe wants to fight, we are ready right now.”
The Russian president has repeatedly stated that speculation that Moscow has aggressive intentions is absurd, and that the EU leaders are inflating the “Russian threat” for domestic political gain and in the interests of their defense industries. Last week, Putin said Moscow was ready to provide Europe with written security guarantees.
Ukraine has suffered significant frontline setbacks since Zelensky’s inner circle was exposed as corrupt. The Russian MOD has reported advances along the Dnepr toward Zaporozhye, with troops pushing into the eastern part of Gulyaypole for several days.
Ukrainian troops are also reported to be blighted by desertions and a lack of reinforcements, with growing public resistance to mobilization and reports of soldiers accusing Kiev of forcing them to hold indefensible positions.
The key US-Russia talks currently underway in Moscow come as Russia has pushed Ukrainian forces from strategic frontline towns, including the key logistics hub of Krasnoarmeysk in Russia’s Donbass (Pokrovsk, in Ukrainian) which has been completely liberated after weeks of house-to-house fighting and the encirclement of Ukrainian troops in the area. Russian forces have also tightened a ring around remaining Ukrainian units in the Krasnoarmeysk-Dimitrov agglomeration, with Dimitrov now controlled by Moscow. Kiev has dismissed Moscow’s statements as inflated, denying any major setbacks.
Back in Washington, Trump is holding a meeting with members of his cabinet at the White House.
At the start of the meeting, the US president describes the Ukraine conflict as “not an easy situation,” adding: “Let me tell you, what a mess. It’s a war that never would have happened if I were president, not even a chance.”
It comes as Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner are meeting with President Putin in Moscow to discuss a possible peace plan to end the conflict.
The Kremlin has released the first footage from the meeting, showing Putin’s aides Yury Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev taking part in the talks.
The Russia-US talks in Moscow come as Ukraine’s front line is deteriorating, with several key positions shifting in Moscow’s favor over the past 48 hours – reinforcing Russia’s overall advantage as negotiations get underway. For more on Russia’s push forward on all fronts, see this recent review by analyst and publicist Sergey Poletaev.
In case you have just joined us, here are the key developments up to now
• The center of gravity in the US peace push has shifted to Russia for the first time since Washington revived negotiations
• Before departing for his meeting with Witkoff, Putin dismissed out of hand any contribution from Kiev’s European backers, citing their failure to recognize reality and accusing them of trying to disrupt the US-led process
• Putin also warned of blocking Ukraine’s maritime access should drone attacks on boats from third countries allegedly carrying Russian oil continue
• American officials reportedly pressed Kiev in Florida to accept core parts of a revised US peace proposal: abandoning NATO ambitions, restricting foreign forces, and phased demilitarization
• The Florida talks produced no breakthrough, with territorial questions still the most sensitive issue and Kiev holding the least leverage
• Ukraine’s front line is deteriorating, and several key positions have shifted in Moscow’s favor over the past 48 hours
• Political turmoil in Kiev is deepening, ministers are being removed, and Vladimir Zelensky’s inner circle has been exposed as corrupt
• Brussels is absent, divided, and without a coherent negotiating track; its proposals have been dismissed by Moscow as “unconstructive.”
The authorities in Kiev are acting as if they live on “another planet,” unaware of the country’s economic situation and its position on the front line, Putin has said. “Constantly being on the road while going around begging for money, he [Zelensky] probably has no time for day-to-day issues in the economy, and even less so at the front,” he told reporters.
Putin was briefed during a November 30 visit to command posts on the contact line that the Russian army has taken control of several key frontline cities, including Krasnoarmeysk in Russia’s Donbass (Pokrovsk, in Ukrainian) and Volchansk in Kharkov Region. Kiev has rejected reports of an encirclement and dismissed Moscow’s statements as inflated. Zelensky has downplayed battlefield losses while continuing to appeal to Western backers for more aid.
Russia may cut off Ukraine’s access to the sea in response to attacks on tankers, Putin has told journalists before meeting with Witkoff and Kushner.
He has also indicated that Moscow would expand the range of targets for strikes and consider measures against vessels from countries that assist Ukraine in attacking vessels in the Black Sea.
“The most radical way is to cut Ukraine off from the sea, then piracy in general will be impossible,” he added.
“Russia has no intention of going to war with European countries. But if Europe wants war, Russia is ready,” Putin has told journalists before meeting Witkoff and Kushner.
Putin has also accused Europe of attempting to undermine the peace agreements promoted by Trump.
“Europe has withdrawn itself from the Ukrainian settlement. It has no peace agenda, and now they are hindering US efforts to achieve a settlement. Europe is putting forward proposals for a peace plan for Ukraine that are unacceptable to Russia.”
“Now, more than ever, there is a chance to end this war,” Zelensky has said during his visit to Ireland. He claimed that “20 points that were developed in Geneva and further refined in Florida” concerning peace proposals.
Russia will continue pursuing a sovereign economic policy, Putin has told the ‘Russia Calling!’ investment forum. Moscow’s fiscal position remains stable, with inflation slowing to below 7% and expected to come in at around 6% by year-end, while GDP is projected to grow by 0.5–1% in 2025 in line with forecasts.
Russia plans to take cooperation with China and India to a new level with a stronger technological component, he annoucned. He acknowledged an imbalance in the Russian economy that “cannot be acceptable,” and said the banking sector is operating confidently and steadily, with profits expected at 3.2–3.5 trillion rubles ($41-45 billion) in 2025, urging banks to boost their contribution to the economy, including in the regions.
What to know now
• The center of gravity in the US peace push has shifted to Russia for the first time since Washington revived negotiations
• American officials pressed Kiev in Florida to accept core parts of a revised US peace proposal: abandoning NATO ambitions, restricting foreign forces, and phased demilitarization
• The Florida talks produced no breakthrough, with territorial questions still the most sensitive issue and Kiev holding the least leverage
• Ukraine’s front line is deteriorating, and several key positions have shifted in Moscow’s favor over the past 48 hours
• Political turmoil in Kiev is deepening, ministers are being removed, and Vladimir Zelensky’s inner circle has been exposed as corrupt
• Moscow welcomes dialogue but makes clear no settlement is possible without addressing Russia’s security concerns, including NATO expansion and Ukraine’s militarization
• Russia is set to insist its territories are formalized, possibly via a “frozen but recognized” status quo
• Brussels is absent, divided, and without a coherent negotiating track; its proposals have been dismissed by Moscow as “unconstructive”
• Today’s talks are a direct test of how far Washington will go one-on-one with Moscow and how far Kiev can resist US pressure
READ MORE about it here.
Witkoff and Kushner, who have just entered the Kremlin for talks with Putin, are expected to travel from Moscow to “a European country” and meet Vladimir Zelensky, Axios correspondent Barak Ravid has claimed.
A few moments ago they were seen strolling on Red Square, RT footage shows.
Ahead of his meeting with Witkoff, Putin is delivering an address at the ‘Russia Calling!’ Investment Forum in Moscow. You can follow his speech live on RT.
Witkoff and Kushner have been seen entering the Kremlin ahead of talks with Putin, according to footage published by Izvestia.
Witkoff, Kushner, and Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president’s special economic representative, earlier dined at a Michelin-starred restaurant in downtown Moscow, according to TASS.
Among the potential sticking points in any peace deal are Ukrainian demands for NATO membership – something that Moscow has cited as among the root causes of the conflict.
CNN reported earlier this week that the updated proposals discussed by US and Ukrainian officials in Florida at the weekend included the idea that NATO could bar Ukraine from joining the bloc without requiring Kiev to formally renounce its accession ambitions, which are enshrined in its constitution.
“Ukraine will not be pushed to officially, in the legal sense, reject this aspiration,” a source told CNN, adding that the US or NATO states could address Russia’s demands through bilateral or multilateral understandings without involving Kiev.
It remains to be seen if this would be a non-starter with Moscow.
For more on that story, read here.
Meanwhile, Zelensky has traveled to Ireland to meet with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin and other senior officials. Ireland is expected to allocate an additional €100 million ($116 million) in non-lethal military support and €25 million to help restore and protect Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
Moscow has repeatedly condemned Western aid to Kiev, warning that it only prolongs the conflict, without changing its outcome.
Witkoff, Kushner and Dmitriev have had lunch at a high-end restaurant in downtown Moscow, according to TASS. Footage shows the two men and their aides walking near the upmarket Central Universal Department Store (TsUM), not far from the Kremlin.
The current talks between Ukrainian and US officials revolve “largely around personal security issues” rather than the country’s broader national interests, Aleksey Arestovich, a former top aide to Zelensky, has claimed.
“I think the conversation is about security guarantees for Zelensky,” he said, adding that any pledges from the West in this regard are likely to be short-lived.
Arestovich also argued that Washington is genuinely seeking to end the conflict soon, even though hostilities may continue for several more months. He added that Ukraine should not view the reported 28-point US peace plan as “capitulation.”
“This is the price for incompetent policies and thieving over all 34 years of independence. A price not that high compared to all crimes committed against our country,” he argued.
Washington and Kiev finalized the proposals for ending the Ukraine conflict during the Florida talks, Vladimir Zelensky has claimed. He added that officials in Kiev “will be in constant contact with America to determine the schedule of further meetings.”
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that while Washington and Kiev had made progress, “more work” would be required, stressing that Russia must be “part of the equation” for any agreement. An AFP source familiar with the talks also said that the negotiations were “not easy.”
Under the Trump administration, US officials have become markedly less focused on European security, Lt. General Christian Freuding – Inspector of the German army and former overseer of Berlin’s aid to Kiev – has complained.
He told The Atlantic that while he had previously been able to text his American counterparts “day and night,” that line of communication has now been essentially “cut off.” According to the general, this shift in attitude also meant Washington offered Berlin no warning before suspending certain weapons shipments to Ukraine.
Many EU nations continue to peddle the narrative of “fighting until the last Ukrainian” and scramble to find financial assistance to prop up Kiev, even as the Trump administration is making substantial efforts to find a solution to the conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
The Miami talks between Ukraine and the US preceding Witkoff’s visit did not produce a breakthrough on the key question for any settlement: Western security guarantees for Kiev, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing sources.
Read the full story here.
What’s the state of play as Witkoff prepares to meet Putin?
After a flurry of diplomatic activity and a renewed peace push in recent weeks, RT has laid out what you need to know on the current situation ahead of the talks in Moscow later today.
You can check that out here.
The motorcade apparently carrying Witkoff and Dmitriev was spotted near the Kremlin, but continued on its way to another undisclosed destination, according to footage from Ruptly.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has suggested Kiev may have to agree to some painful concessions, adding that Ukrainians could have to hold a referendum on whether to accept the peace terms.
US officials told the EU in “no uncertain terms” earlier this year that they planned to return the frozen Russian assets to Moscow once a peace plan is signed, Politico has reported, citing sources.
The US has also reportedly been against the EU plan to use the assets for issuing a loan to Ukraine, with the initial leaked version of the peace roadmap including a provision to use $100 billion of the funds in American-led “efforts to rebuild and invest in Ukraine” and create a “separate US-Russian vehicle.”
The prospect caused a rift between the US and the EU, according to the outlet.
Territorial issues will be at the center of any peace deal, and Witkoff’s visit to Moscow comes as Russian forces continue to make frontline gains.
At a briefing on Sunday, the chief of Russia’s General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, told President Putin that the military has taken control of several key frontline cities, including Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) in Russia’s Donbass and Volchansk in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region.
The reality of the frontline situation – coupled with manpower shortages and ongoing mobilization problems – may pile even more pressure on the beleaguered Zelensky to finally make a deal.
Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba has said Kiev must accept an “agreement that no one will like” if it wants to avoid many more years of conflict with Russia and a potential complete collapse.
“We are in a situation where Russia has the ability to destroy us, and we are not strong enough to fully protect ourselves,” Kuleba said at a conference in Kiev on Monday.
Only a deal “that no one will like” which locks in a “tactical defeat and strategic victory” could prevent “many more years of war… even worse,” the former diplomat added.
Read the full story here.
A large motorcade apparently carrying Witkoff and Dmitriev has left Vnukovo airport, according to footage from Ruply.
Senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev has arrived at Vnukovo to welcome Witkoff and Kushner, RT reporters have confirmed.
The jet apparently carrying Witkoff has landed in Moscow, according to TASS.
Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will be the only negotiators representing the US, Peskov has said. He declined to speculate on the duration of the talks, saying they would last as long as necessary.
Footage obtained by RT showed two vehicles with Russian plates and special lights entering Vnukovo Airport in anticipation of Witkoff. Another separate clip released by TASS featured vehicles with diplomatic license plates belonging to the US embassy in Moscow, which also have reached the airport.
US mediation efforts have been “quite effective,” Peskov has said.
The Trump peace plan is “a very good basis” for settling the Ukraine conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. He added, however, that the task is “very difficult,” and the sides have to resolve several crucial matters.
Apart from Putin, Witkoff is set to meet senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, TASS has reported, without providing an exact timeline. During the previous round of negotiations with Putin in August, Witkoff met with Dmitriev before his Kremlin visit. The two were seen on a stroll in Zaryadye Park in central Moscow.
A Bombardier Global 7500 business jet apparently carrying Witkoff has entered Russian airspace, according to Flightradar24.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said the Putin-Witkoff meeting is set to start in about five hours (around 6pm Moscow time).