Vladimir Putin has signalled that Russia will not retreat from its uncompromising demands for ending the war in Ukraine, while proposing a temporary ceasefire in a strategically important frontline city during talks with US representatives at the Kremlin.
The Russian president said Moscow would not dilute its claim to control Ukrainian territory it says it has annexed. He also rejected any deployment of foreign peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, calling such a presence a “continuation of war”.
US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff travelled to Moscow after two days of negotiations in Abu Dhabi focused on bringing an end to Europe’s deadliest conflict since the Second World War.
Mr Putin’s remarks appeared to dampen hopes of a breakthrough, coming after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said there was a “window of opportunity” to secure “a result” before 2027.
Kyiv and European governments have also warned against any new “Yalta” agreement — a reference to the Second World War-era settlement that divided Europe into spheres of influence — insisting that Russia must first halt its attacks.
After leaving the Kremlin, Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner travelled directly to Dublin, where they held talks with Mr Zelensky at Casement Aerodrome. The Ukrainian president was in the Irish capital for a meeting of the European Political Community.
Mr Kushner described the discussions with Mr Putin and his negotiating team as “very detailed and productive”.
He said the sides had reached an agreement on a prisoner-of-war exchange, while stressing that “we cannot conclude this deal without the Europeans being at the table”.
Mr Zelensky said: “The American side, the American group made progress on Europeans. This is important that Europeans, next time, next week, Europe will be there during negotiations.”
The Kremlin meeting took place following two days of talks in Abu Dhabi
Earlier in Dublin, Mr Zelensky said new restrictions had been imposed on the Starshield satellite internet service, which Ukraine relies on for communications along the front line.
He said the curbs were making it harder for Ukrainian forces to detect Russia’s jet-drones, adding that “more of our people are killed” as a result.
‘Continuation of war’
The Kremlin normally keeps such meetings behind closed doors, but it broadcast an unusually lengthy opening exchange between Mr Putin and the American envoys.
The Russian president dismissed proposals for a territorial settlement based on “grey”, or demilitarised, zones separating Ukrainian and Russian forces.
“For us, there is only one line of demarcation: The state border. Because then it will be clear and obvious: Here are we, and here are you,” he said.
Russia has captured large areas of eastern and southern Ukraine since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022. Its territorial gains also include Crimea, annexed in 2014, as well as land previously held by Russian-backed separatists.
Moscow has formally declared the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk and Zaporizhzhia part of Russia, despite lacking complete control over any of them.
Kyiv and Western governments reject those annexations as illegal, and they have not been recognised by the international community.
Russian military advances have slowed during 2026, while hundreds of thousands of people have died in the war and millions more have been driven from their homes.
Mr Putin proposed what he called a “humanitarian mission” to Kostyantynivka, saying that between 400 and 500 civilians remained in the city.
Russia said during the summer that it had captured Kostyantynivka, but Ukraine maintains that fighting is still taking place there.
The proposal would follow the example of a short-lived truce last month that enabled hundreds of civilians trapped in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine to leave.
Dmytro Lytvyn, an adviser to Mr Zelensky, said there was “clear” evidence of what Russia intended to do in Kostyantynivka.
“In Oleshky they brought in equipment and rotated troops under the cover of a humanitarian operation,” he said.
Mr Putin also reiterated his opposition to the deployment of foreign troops to Ukraine as a post-war peacekeeping force — a step Kyiv considers vital to deterring another Russian assault.
He said Moscow would regard any such forces as a “legitimate target”, warning that their presence would represent “the continuation of war”.
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‘United vision’
European governments have been unsettled by Russia’s calls for a review of the continent’s wider security arrangements, while the United States has also suggested developing a new framework.
The proposals are broadly understood as reflecting Moscow’s long-standing demands for NATO to reduce its military presence in eastern Europe and for the West to end its military assistance to Kyiv.
As European leaders met in Dublin, EU chief Antonio Costa said there was “no need to reinvent the wheel” on the continent’s security structure. He accused Russia of damaging that system through its invasion of Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron called on European countries to unite behind a “clear and united vision” of what they want from negotiations over Ukraine’s future.
Russia and the United States are pressing European governments to nominate a single representative with whom they can negotiate.
Read More: Speaking for Europe key issue as leaders meet
