Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed the latest U.S.-backed proposal aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, rejecting an offer that would have allowed Russia to retain occupied territory in exchange for Ukraine keeping its sovereignty. The proposal — carried to Moscow by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — was the newest version of what began as a 28-point peace plan. But Putin’s response made clear that territorial gains are not enough: he wants an end to Ukraine’s independence altogether.
Ukraine’s former foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba had warned just a day earlier that any realistic peace deal would leave Ukraine facing a “tactical defeat but a strategic victory” — losing territory but preserving nationhood. That framing aligns closely with what Trump’s delegation offered, but Putin refused. According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, Russia sees itself as holding the battlefield advantage and therefore expects far more sweeping concessions.
Putin’s demands remain unchanged from earlier rounds of talks in Istanbul and at August’s Alaska summit: Ukraine must surrender all of Donbas — including areas Russia has not captured — abandon its NATO aspirations, limit its armed forces, relinquish long-range weapons, enact special protections for Russian speakers and see President Volodymyr Zelenskyy resign to allow new elections. Analysts widely agree these terms amount to dismantling Ukraine as a sovereign state.
Moscow appears to believe Trump can pressure Kyiv into accepting these conditions. Russian analyst Tatiana Stanovaya wrote that Russia’s aim in hosting the U.S. delegation was not negotiation, but to deliver its “red lines” directly to Trump and push Washington to coerce Ukraine. But there is no sign those demands are remotely acceptable in Kyiv, where civil society and military families are likely to erupt if Zelenskyy were seen to concede independence.
The battlefield situation remains dire. Russian forces have made costly advances in Donbas and Zaporizhzhia, with U.S. estimates suggesting up to 1,000 Russian soldiers killed daily. Ukraine’s losses are smaller but still significant, and a wave of Russian missile and drone strikes has overwhelmed air defences, causing grid damage, mass blackouts and rising civilian casualties. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy faces a major domestic crisis as corruption investigations have swept up senior officials.
Internationally, the peace push is accelerating. Ukrainian security chief Rustem Umerov meets U.S. envoy Witkoff again in Miami, and French President Emmanuel Macron is in Beijing urging China to take a larger role. But former U.K. ambassador Kim Darroch warns meaningful peace is unrealistic unless Ukraine agrees to “impossible” concessions like giving up territory and NATO membership.
Trump remains central to the process. NATO’s Mark Rutte says he is the “only person” capable of breaking the deadlock. The U.S. continues to provide Ukraine the firepower to defend its cities and target Russian supply lines, and has imposed sweeping oil sanctions that are beginning to hit Russia’s economy. Yet Zelenskyy fears that if Trump determines the two sides’ positions cannot be reconciled, he may simply walk away — leaving Europe unable to sustain Ukraine alone.
