Recent meeting in the Kremlin, Moscow, where Russian President Vladimir Putin met with United States special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for talks on ending the war in Ukraine. Photo credit: Kristina Kormilitsyna/Sputnik/AP
An anticipated meeting with Zelensky was abruptly canceled after the US envoys flew straight back home, reportedly honoring a pledge to Moscow not to continue to Kiev
Russian officials announced on 2 December that they are ready to continue engaging with Washington following “constructive” talks with US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia is ready to meet US officials “as many times as needed” to reach a “peaceful settlement,” adding that “we value President (Donald) Trump’s political will to continue seeking solutions.”
Peskov rejected claims that President Vladimir Putin had turned down a US peace plan for Ukraine, saying “it wouldn’t be correct” to suggest the proposal was rejected.
Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said “a compromise peace plan … has not yet been found,” noting that “some American proposals … look more or less acceptable, but they need to be discussed,” while “part of the wording we were offered is unacceptable.”
The Moscow talks coincided with an EU move to halt Russian gas imports. European lawmakers and member states agreed to ban all Russian gas by autumn 2027, allowing companies to invoke “force majeure” to terminate contracts.
Peskov said Europe is “harming itself by turning to more expensive energy sources,” which would “inevitably speed up” the EU’s loss of leverage.
In Kiev, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov would begin preparing for a meeting with US President Donald Trump’s envoys in the US and had already reported on preparations for talks in Brussels with European national security advisors.
He previously said he expected “signals” from Witkoff and Kushner following their Kremlin talks, hinting that a successful outcome could open the door to a meeting with Trump.
Suppression of Local Governance and Official Lies About Ukraine’s Military Situation
Those signals never came as journalist Alex Raufoglu first reported that Zelensky was “slated to meet in Brussels” with the US team, then later said “the Brussels meeting is called off” and “Zelensky is returning home,” without giving a reason.
Russian state-owned news agency, TASS, citing a European air-traffic source, reported that a plane apparently carrying Witkoff left Russia and flew directly back to the US without stopping in the EU.
Ushakov said the US delegation had promised Moscow it would return to Washington after the talks and “not travel on to Kiev.” He reiterated that “a compromise hasn’t been found” and “there’s still a lot of work to be done,” but said peace is “definitely not further” away.
According to him, the US team handed over four additional documents on a settlement, building on a US-backed framework initially tied to a leaked 28-point draft that reportedly asks Kiev to relinquish territory in Donbas still under its control, abandon NATO ambitions, and limit the size of its military, terms Ukraine considers a “dealbreaker.”
Before the meeting, Putin dismissed any contribution from Kiev’s European backers and accused them of trying to disrupt the US-led process.
He also warned that Ukraine’s maritime access could be “blocked” if drone attacks continue against boats from third countries carrying Russian oil.
