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High-Stakes Moscow Talks: US Envoys Meet Putin as Peace Prospects Dim

US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff held closed-door talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, but observers say Putin is unlikely to make the concessions needed to end the war in Ukraine. Putin warned that Russia would prevail if Europe sought war, a remark some analysts view as an attempt to test U.S.-European unity over a conciliatory draft. Ukraine's president welcomed the quick pace of negotiations but warned the US could tire of the peace push if progress stalls.

09:04 AM, 12/03/2025Conflict
High-Stakes Moscow Talks: US Envoys Meet Putin as Peace Prospects Dim

US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff held a closed-door meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, but most observers say the session offered little reason to expect an immediate breakthrough to end the war in Ukraine.

Before the talks, Putin warned that if Europe sought war, Russia would prevail. Some analysts suggested his hawkish language was intended to drive a wedge between Washington — which has circulated a draft widely seen as conciliatory toward Moscow — and European governments urging Kyiv to seek revisions to that proposal.

Putin's message before the meeting: He warned that if Europe sought war, Russia would prevail.

Diplomats and analysts following the diplomatic flurry remained skeptical that Putin would accept a watered-down settlement. Ukraine's president described the speed of the talks as encouraging but cautioned that U.S. interest in pursuing a durable peace could wane if tangible progress does not follow.

Why it matters

The private nature of the talks underscores how fragile diplomatic options remain and how much rests on Western unity. Any viable agreement would require major concessions from Moscow and clear buy-in from Ukraine and European partners — a difficult political and diplomatic hurdle.

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