Putin Rejects Compromise on Ukraine Despite US Envoy Talks

Moscow (GNP): Russian President Vladimir Putin has signaled that Moscow will not compromise on its hardline demands to end the Ukraine offensive. During a Kremlin meeting with US envoys on Thursday, he offered only a short-term ceasefire in a key frontline city.

Putin said he would not water down his demands to control parts of Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed. He also ruled out foreign peacekeeping troops in Ukraine, saying such a deployment would be a continuation of war.

The meeting involved Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Washington’s envoys. They had arrived in Moscow after two days of talks in Abu Dhabi on ending Europe’s worst conflict since World War II.

Putin’s stance appeared to dampen hopes that a deal was within reach. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had said earlier that there was a window of opportunity to achieve a result before 2027.

The envoys pressed Putin on another point, urging him to let European representatives sit at the table for the next round of talks. Witkoff told Russian state TV that Putin had agreed, and that Europeans would join the next meeting as important partners.

Putin gave a more guarded answer. He said Washington must work with its European allies to learn whether they want peace or war in Ukraine.

The question of who takes part matters because Moscow has managed to recast the discussions as part of a wider debate on European security. Kyiv and European leaders have warned against a new Yalta, a reference to the World War II deal that divided the continent into spheres of influence. They insist that Russia must first stop hostilities.

Putin also rejected any territorial settlement involving gray, or demilitarized, zones between Ukrainian and Russian positions. He said the only line of demarcation Russia accepts is the state border, because that would make clear where each side stands.

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Russia has seized swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine since launching its full-scale offensive in 2022, in addition to Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.

After leaving the Kremlin on Thursday afternoon, Witkoff and Kushner were set to travel straight to Dublin. There they planned to hold talks with Zelensky, who is attending a European summit.

Speaking in the Irish capital, Zelensky raised a separate concern about the battlefield. He said fresh restrictions have been placed on the Starshield satellite internet service, which is key to Ukraine’s frontline communications. According to him, the limits hamper Kyiv’s ability to intercept Russian jet-drones, meaning more of his people are killed.

The Kremlin, which usually holds such talks behind closed doors, chose to televise a lengthy opening exchange between Putin and the envoys.

Vladimir Putin said, “For us, there is only one line of demarcation: the state border.”