US President Trump says Putin wants to end the war after inconclusive Kremlin talks, with US envoys set to meet Ukraine’s negotiator in Florida
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said he believes Russia’s Vladimir Putin wants to end the Ukraine war despite inconclusive talks in Moscow.
Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held lengthy talks with Putin in the Kremlin but reached no breakthrough on halting the conflict.
The Kremlin later stated it found parts of the US peace plan unacceptable, even though the proposal includes Ukraine ceding parts of the eastern Donbas region.
“I can tell you that they had a reasonably good meeting with President Putin,” Trump told an AFP reporter, later calling the talks “very good.”
Trump added it was too soon to tell what would happen “because it does take two to tango.”
Pressed on whether Putin genuinely wanted to halt the invasion, Trump replied: “He would like to end the war. That was their impression.”
The US president said Ukraine “pretty well” backed the US proposal, but added Kyiv should have done so earlier.
Witkoff and Kushner are now due to meet top Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov in Florida on Thursday, according to two US officials.
Moscow said the two sides failed to reach a compromise and that more work was needed.
The Kremlin added that its army’s recent battlefield successes had bolstered its position, with Kyiv’s ties to NATO remaining a key question.
“The progress and nature of the negotiations were influenced by the successes of the Russian army on the battlefield in recent weeks,” Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.
Moscow insisted it was incorrect to say Putin rejected the plan in its entirety.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was “still ready to meet as many times as is needed to reach a peace settlement.”
In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky said a window of opportunity for peace has opened but must be accompanied by pressure on Moscow.
“The world now clearly feels that there is an opportunity to end the war, and the current activity in negotiations must be supported by pressure on Russia,” he said.
The fresh talks come as NATO pledges to buy hundreds of millions of dollars worth of US arms for Ukraine.
NATO chief Mark Rutte said it was positive peace talks were ongoing but that the alliance should ensure “Ukraine is in the strongest possible position.”
European countries have expressed fears Washington and Moscow will reach agreements without them, trying to amend the US plan so it does not force Kyiv to capitulate. – AFP
