Russian President Vladimir Putin met U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the Kremlin on Tuesday, marking the highest-level contact yet in Donald Trump’s push to broker a deal to end the war in Ukraine.
In Washington, President Donald Trump said U.S. envoys were in Russia “right now” working to resolve a conflict he called “a mess,” insisting it “never would have happened” had he been president earlier. He repeated that the U.S. is no longer funding the war, saying Washington now sells equipment to NATO allies “at 100% price.”
In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin said Russia does not seek war with Europe but is prepared if challenged. A direct confrontation, he warned, could escalate “very quickly,” contrasting it with what he described as Russia’s “surgical” campaign in Ukraine.
NATO and Ukraine Await Signals
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said there is still no alliance consensus on Ukraine’s membership. He stressed, however, that NATO and the U.S. are working closely on possible security guarantees as peace efforts continue.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he expects updates from U.S. negotiators after their meetings in Moscow and is “ready to receive all signals,” including the possibility of talks with Trump depending on progress.
Russia Steps Up Battlefield Messaging
Russia released new drone footage of Vovchansk, a town it claims to have recently taken in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. Putin also reiterated that Pokrovsk, in the Donetsk region, is fully under Russian control and called it a key staging point for operations.
Tensions rose further after a Russian tanker was hit by a drone off Turkey’s Black Sea coast. Putin threatened intensified strikes on Ukrainian ports and suggested possible measures against vessels from countries aiding Kyiv. He said the “most radical” option would be cutting Ukraine off from the sea entirely.
Peace Proposals Spark Alarm in Kyiv and Europe
Trump has repeatedly said he wants to end the war, which his administration describes as a “bloodbath” and “a proxy war.” His efforts, including an August summit with Putin in Alaska, have yet to produce results.
Last week, a leaked set of 28 U.S. draft peace proposals caused alarm in Kyiv and European capitals, with critics saying it conceded to key Russian demands — including limits on Ukraine’s army, Russia’s control of roughly a fifth of Ukraine, and the NATO question.
European states issued a counter-proposal. During talks in Geneva, the U.S. and Ukraine said they had created an “updated and refined peace framework.”
Putin has said discussions remain focused on proposals rather than a formal draft agreement but suggested they could serve as a basis for future talks.
Kyiv Pushes Back: “Time to Force Russia to End the War”
Ukraine responded sharply on Tuesday. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia’s actions in the Black Sea “threaten freedom of navigation” and argued that “it is time to force Russia to end the war.” He said Putin’s latest remarks show “he does not plan to end the war,” urging partners to increase pressure.
Putin insists he is ready for peace talks, but warns that if Ukraine refuses, Russian forces will advance and seize more territory.
Russian forces currently control over 19% of Ukraine — about 115,600 sq km — around one percentage point more than two years ago. They have advanced in 2025 at the fastest rate since 2022, according to pro-Ukrainian mapping. Commanders told Putin this week they had captured Pokrovsk and Vovchansk.
U.S. officials estimate over 1.2 million men have been killed or injured since the war began. Neither side discloses official casualty counts.
Security Guarantees and High-Level Meetings
Ukraine says any settlement accepting Russian territorial gains would be capitulation, though Washington has floated a possible 10-year security guarantee for Kyiv.
In Florida on Sunday, Steven Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s national security council, at Witkoff’s Shell Bay club.
Zelenskyy said the next phase of the peace process hinges on the outcome of Tuesday’s U.S.–Russia talks.
“The next steps will depend on the signals we receive,” he told reporters in Dublin. He said he is open to meeting Trump if meaningful progress emerges. The most sensitive issues, he noted, are territories and frozen assets, but provided no details.
“We share the view that the war must be brought to a fair end,” Zelenskyy wrote earlier on X after talks in Paris.
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at ...
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk...
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, met on 14 October to discuss bilateral ties and key regional and inte...
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, vowing to carry out more attacks in the coming days.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Thousands of young Georgians leave the country each year in search of better economic opportunities, with many moving west. As questions grow over Georgia’s European path, AnewZ spoke to people who have emigrated about what it would take for them to return.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
A 62-year-old man died on Wednesday after floodwaters swept his car into the sea on the Greek island of Rhodes, as torrential rain flooded roads, stranded vehicles and disrupted transport across the island.
A failure by the U.S. and Iran to reach an agreement on a UN-backed fertiliser shipping plan for the Strait of Hormuz within weeks could trigger a food security crisis in parts of Asia and Africa, a senior UN official has warned.
Pope Leo has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer, after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung. The Vatican says the tumour was detected during a routine health check, but its stage and whether it has spread remain unknown.
Greek students braved heavy rain to pitch tents outside parliament in Athens on Tuesday, demanding affordable housing and more education funding as rising living costs put university places beyond the reach of some students.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment