At Moscow’s VTB Investment Forum on Dec. 2, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned European nations that Russia is "ready" to engage in a military confrontation if war breaks out, while insisting he does not seek conflict.
Closed-door talks in Moscow
The remarks came as a U.S. delegation led by President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff — joined by Jared Kushner — held nearly five hours of closed-door talks with Russian officials in Moscow to discuss a proposed Russia–Ukraine peace plan. After brief greetings the cameras were removed and the session continued behind closed doors.
Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev called the discussions "productive" on X, and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described them as "very useful, constructive and very substantive," while acknowledging that no compromise had yet been reached on the core issue of territory. "There is still a lot of work to be done, both by Washington and by Moscow," Ushakov said. "Contacts will continue."
Peace plan controversy
The talks followed the leak on Nov. 20 of a 28-point peace proposal drafted by the Trump administration. The initial draft drew sharp criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and many European leaders, who said it appeared to demand reductions to Ukraine’s armed forces and sizeable territorial concessions.
Ukrainian and U.S. officials met in Geneva last week to review a revised version of the plan, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held additional talks in Florida with Ukraine’s new negotiator, Rustem Umerov. Rubio called the discussions "productive" but warned that both sides will need to make "difficult but necessary concessions," and emphasized that Russia must be part of any final agreement.
European response and stakes
European capitals, however, continue to oppose any deal that would force Ukraine to cede territory. E.U. foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the international community must not lose sight of who started the war, warning that pressuring Kyiv to surrender land would reward aggression and have far-reaching consequences.
"We shouldn’t lose focus that it’s actually Russia who has started this war, and Russia that is continuing this war." — Kaja Kallas
Putin’s position and implications
Putin reiterated that Russia would halt operations if Ukrainian forces withdrew from territories Moscow claims; otherwise, he said, Russia would continue to press its objectives by military means. He also accused some European governments of proposing negotiation terms Moscow finds "absolutely unacceptable" and of obstructing the broader peace process.
Those statements underline a continuing impasse: Putin insists on territorial withdrawals that Zelensky has repeatedly rejected. The standoff leaves little immediate prospect for a negotiated settlement and raises the risk of further escalation should diplomatic efforts falter.
Context and next steps
In October, the U.S. and the E.U. announced new sanctions calling on Russia to "stop killing," but Moscow has publicly dismissed their impact. Ukraine’s president said he was "waiting for signals from the American delegation" and that U.S. envoys would brief him "immediately" after their meetings in Moscow. He added that future meetings could follow quickly depending on those signals.
Reporting by Olivia-Anne Cleary.
