Vladimir Putin has issued an extraordinary warning that Russia is ready for war with Europe, accusing leaders across the Continent of trying to sabotage a potential peace deal for Ukraine just hours before high stakes talks with United States envoys in Moscow.
Speaking in Moscow on Tuesday ahead of talks with United States envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the Russian president said European proposals related to ongoing diplomatic efforts were “unacceptable” and accused European leaders of hindering negotiations.
“Europe is offering proposals for a peace plan for Ukraine that are unacceptable to Russia,” he said. “Russia has no intention of going to war with European countries, but if Europe starts a war, Russia is ready right now and then Moscow will have nobody to negotiate with. Europe has no peace agenda and is now hindering US efforts to resolve the conflict.”
The meeting between Putin and Donald Trump’s envoys took place later that afternoon inside the Kremlin. The US delegation travelled through the capital in a police escorted motorcade before beginning what Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said would last “as long as it takes”.
According to Russia, the discussions centred on a set of draft proposals that have been circulating between the United States, Ukraine and European governments in recent days. Elements of an earlier draft, reported in Western media, included restrictions on Ukrainian security arrangements and questions relating to Russian assets and occupied territory, though none of the parties has released a finalised version.
Several European governments, including France and Italy, publicly objected to aspects of the earlier draft and insisted that matters involving Nato, EU membership or frozen Russian assets could not be settled without their involvement. United States officials subsequently worked with Ukraine and European leaders to revise the text.
Inside the Kremlin, Witkoff and Kushner were joined by long serving presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov and Russia’s lead contact in the talks, Kirill Dmitriev. After five hours of negotiations, Russian officials said there had been no agreement on key issues.
Ushakov described the talks as “useful, constructive and meaningful” but confirmed that no compromise had been reached on territory. “Peace is no closer, but also no further away,” he said. He added that the discussions were confidential and that Putin had asked the envoys to pass messages to former President Trump. There are currently no plans for Putin and Trump to meet.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said “everything depends” on the signals emerging from Moscow. Speaking during a visit to Ireland, where he called for a “peace without humiliation”, he said he was prepared to meet Trump if the discussions created an opening for swift decisions.
Media reports indicate that the most sensitive elements of the draft, including future security guarantees for Ukraine, questions relating to territory and Ukraine’s relationship with Nato, remain unresolved and would likely require direct talks between Zelensky and Trump should negotiations progress.
Witkoff and Kushner are expected to meet the Ukrainian president next in either Dublin or Brussels.
The diplomatic activity coincided with competing battlefield claims. Russia announced that its forces had taken control of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, a city Ukraine has defended for more than a year. Kyiv immediately rejected the claim, saying fighting continued in the northern part of the city.
Ahead of the Moscow talks, Zelensky accused Russia of attempting to influence the diplomatic process. “We note that the Russians have already launched new disinformation campaigns in view of preparations for their upcoming meetings with the American side,” he said. “Ukraine approaches all diplomatic efforts with utmost seriousness, we are committed to achieving a real peace and guaranteed security.”
Witkoff and Kushner have become prominent figures in recent diplomatic efforts, following their involvement in earlier negotiations to end the war in Gaza. Their role in the Ukraine talks has drawn public attention in both the United States and Europe. State media in Russia published footage of the pair walking through Moscow with Dmitriev after dining at a Michelin starred restaurant, and last week Bloomberg published a leaked phone call in which Witkoff appeared to advise Ushakov on how to present a proposal to Trump.
Before travelling to Moscow, Witkoff met several European leaders, including Keir Starmer, as well as Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov.
Putin has stated previously that he is ready for peace but has warned that if Ukraine refuses to concede territory currently claimed by Russia, Moscow will push further. One of Russia’s longstanding demands, that Ukraine be prevented from joining Nato, appeared to gain traction on Tuesday when Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte reiterated that there was “no consensus” among member states on Ukrainian membership.
Negotiations are expected to continue as all sides assess whether further progress is possible. More to follow.
