Putin Threatens Europe While US Peace Mission Ends Without Breakthrough

Russia and the United States failed to make meaningful progress toward ending the Ukraine conflict during Tuesday’s high-stakes negotiations in Moscow, according to a senior Kremlin official. The five-hour meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner concluded without agreement on critical issues, including territorial control lines for any potential peace settlement.
Yuri Ushakov, a key aide to Putin, characterized the discussions as “extremely useful, constructive, and informed” but acknowledged the sides were “neither further nor closer to resolving the crisis in Ukraine.” He revealed that while Russia found some aspects of the American peace proposal acceptable, Putin expressed critical and even negative views toward several key provisions. The Kremlin official indicated that certain negotiation details would remain confidential and suggested another Trump-Putin summit was not on the immediate horizon.
The diplomatic setback came hours after Putin issued stark warnings to Europe, declaring Russia was “ready right now” for war with the continent if hostilities began. In combative opening remarks before the talks, the Russian leader accused European powers of sabotaging peace efforts and blocking the Trump administration’s attempts to resolve the conflict. Putin claimed that “European demands” regarding the war’s conclusion were unacceptable to Moscow, though he did not specify which particular requirements he opposed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed readiness to receive signals from the US delegation and indicated his willingness to meet with Trump. The Ukrainian leader has been conducting his own diplomatic campaign across European capitals, seeking support for revisions to an earlier 28-point peace plan that heavily favored Russian interests. Zelenskyy has particularly objected to provisions requiring Ukraine to surrender currently controlled eastern territory and accept limits on its military size, while demanding clear security guarantees against future Russian aggression.
The negotiations represent the sixth trip to Moscow this year for Witkoff, who arrived with an updated peace proposal reportedly revised to make it more palatable to Kyiv. However, significant skepticism remains about whether Russia genuinely seeks compromise or is simply waiting for relations between Washington and its European allies to deteriorate further. Trump acknowledged the situation was a “mess” that would not be easily resolved, while Putin continued emphasizing that Russian forces maintain offensive momentum on the battlefield.