- Andrii Sybiha, insisted that Moscow must halt its aggression immediately
- Russia’s confidence has been buoyed by recent battlefield claims
- Independent assessments show that Moscow expanded its occupied territory by roughly 701 sq km
A new phase of diplomacy is underway as US envoy Steve Witkoff meets Ukraine’s security chief Rustem Umerov in Miami on Thursday, just days after his lengthy talks with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Witkoff spent nearly five hours inside the Kremlin on Tuesday in a conversation that yielded no breakthrough, despite US President Donald Trump later describing the engagement, which also included Jared Kushner, as “reasonably good.”
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Trump, however, cautioned that it remained too early to determine the direction of the peace efforts, saying meaningful progress would require genuine commitment from both sides.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, insisted that Moscow must halt its aggression immediately, accusing Putin of stalling and “wasting the world’s time.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky, commenting separately on X, said global sentiment suggested a real opening to end the war but stressed that any dialogue must be reinforced by firm pressure on Russia.
The Kremlin has maintained that parts of the US proposal could be considered, though Putin’s adviser Yuri Ushakov said several points remained unacceptable.
Central among the unresolved issues are the fate of territories seized during Russia’s invasion and Kyiv’s quest for binding security guarantees, including its push for NATO membership, which Moscow strongly opposes, and Trump has shown no appetite to endorse.
Russia’s confidence has been buoyed by recent battlefield claims, including advances around Pokrovsk, though Ukrainian officials dispute full Russian control.
Independent assessments show that Moscow expanded its occupied territory by roughly 701 sq km in November alone, deepening concerns among Kyiv’s Western allies.
As the US signals willingness for continued dialogue, Europe remains wary. EU leaders, while backing peace efforts, are pressing ahead with initiatives to cut energy dependence on Russia, raise financial support for Ukraine, and hold Moscow accountable for deporting thousands of Ukrainian children.
