Russia and the United States failed to reach any compromise on a potential Ukraine peace agreement following a five-hour meeting in the Kremlin between President Vladimir Putin and two senior envoys sent by Donald Trump, Moscow said on Wednesday.
Putin’s discussions with Trump’s special representative Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner ran late into the night. After the meeting, Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov conceded that “no compromises have been reached,” adding that “much work remains.”
Ushakov described the talks as constructive, highlighting what he called significant opportunities for U.S.–Russia economic cooperation. He noted that Putin pushed back on several U.S. proposals and confirmed that Witkoff went to the American embassy afterward to brief Washington. He also said there are currently no plans for a Putin–Trump meeting.
A major focus of the discussions was the “territorial issue”—the Kremlin’s term for Russia’s claims over the full Donbas region. Ukraine still controls at least 5,000 square kilometers (about 1,900 square miles) of the area, which the international community overwhelmingly recognizes as Ukrainian territory.
“Some American drafts are somewhat acceptable, but they require more negotiation,” Ushakov said. “Other formulations are unacceptable to us, so the work continues.”
He added that Putin conveyed several key messages and personal greetings to Trump, noting that the absence of a deal does not mean the sides are drifting further from a peace settlement.
The meeting comes as Trump continues to voice frustration over the lack of progress in ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly warned against any negotiations conducted without Kyiv’s involvement.
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