Following a five-hour meeting in Moscow last night between Vladimir Putin, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, there have still been no major breakthroughs to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
This should come as no surprise, even if it is a disappointment to those whose hopes for peace were raised by the bullish optimism of Trump administration officials. It would be wrong, however, to call the latest round of talks a failure. It served an important purpose, shoving into the spotlight three unforgiving but fundamental realities that must inform future efforts to end the conflict.
Firstly, despite much positive spin, no progress has been made on finding workable solutions to address the war’s core issues: namely territory, security guarantees, and the capabilities and alignment of Ukraine’s future military. For its part, Kyiv has refused to cede the rest of Donetsk and continues to insist on security guarantees that exceed those the United States is willing to offer, or which Europe can provide. In addition, most now recognise that Nato membership for Ukraine is off the table, though the country’s leadership is loath to formally commit to this.
Russia’s position is equally unyielding, and Putin’s confidence has only grown after the controversial US 28-point peace plan caused a panic among Washington’s Nato allies. After Witkoff’s meeting with Putin, for instance, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov indicated that proposed U.S. territorial compromises were unacceptable. The Russian President has similarly held fast to his demand that any settlement enforce a neutral Ukraine which cannot pose a military threat to Moscow.
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