Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Tuesday, as Washington signals growing optimism about a possible agreement to end the war in Ukraine. Jared Kushner — former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and an informal adviser in recent diplomatic efforts — is also expected to attend the talks.
The Moscow summit follows two days of negotiations in Florida between Ukrainian and US officials, including Witkoff and Kushner, aimed at refining a US-backed peace proposal that had previously been viewed as leaning in Russia’s favour.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the discussions “constructive” but acknowledged that “tough issues still have to be resolved.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin would meet Witkoff in the latter half of Tuesday.
Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday, Zelensky reiterated Kyiv’s key priorities: safeguarding Ukraine’s sovereignty and securing strong, enforceable security guarantees. He stressed that territorial questions remain the most difficult element, with Russia continuing to demand that Ukraine cede eastern territories it still holds — a concession Kyiv has repeatedly ruled out.
The planned talks in Moscow come shortly after Russian officials claimed to have captured the strategic eastern town of Pokrovsk (known in Russian as Krasnoarmeysk) and the border town of Vovchansk in the northeast. Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the loss of either location, and open-source intelligence groups monitoring the front line reported that neither city appears to be fully under Russian control.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, argued that Moscow’s strategy is to shift pressure from the US peace plan entirely onto Ukraine.
Russia has spent nearly 18 months attempting to seize Pokrovsk. Over the weekend, the Kremlin released footage of Putin visiting a military command post, where he said Russia was advancing in “an important area.”
Ahead of his trip to Moscow, Witkoff also held meetings with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, President Zelensky, Ukraine’s new chief negotiator Rustem Umerov, and several European leaders who joined the Zelensky-Macron talks virtually.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the draft peace deal had “been very much refined,” adding, “We feel very optimistic… we’re hopeful this war can finally come to an end.”
Last week, Putin said he had reviewed the US proposal and believed it could serve as the “basis” for a future agreement — though Kremlin officials later suggested acceptance was uncertain after Kyiv and European allies pushed for revisions.
