US envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday for talks on the Trump administration’s proposed plan to end the war in Ukraine. The meeting follows discussions between US officials and Ukrainian negotiators in Florida, which Washington described as productive.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday that the administration was “very optimistic” about the progress made so far. However, the proposal has raised concerns in Kyiv and across Europe, as it was drafted without their input and is viewed by many as favouring Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who arrived in Ireland on Monday to receive an update from negotiator Rustem Umerov, continued consultations with European leaders after meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. Umerov said “significant progress” had been made in the Florida talks, though difficult issues remained.
The diplomatic push comes as Russia intensifies attacks across Ukraine and continues to advance on the battlefield. An AFP analysis of data from the US-based Institute for the Study of War shows Russia made its largest territorial gains in a year in November. Kyiv is also grappling with a corruption scandal that led to the dismissal of Zelensky’s chief of staff and top negotiator, Andriy Yermak.
Zelensky accused Russia of escalating missile and drone strikes to weaken Ukrainian morale, adding that any peace plan must not reward Moscow. Macron echoed concerns about the territorial aspect of the US proposal, stressing that no final plan exists and that Zelensky must be central to any decision.
The initial US proposal included Ukrainian withdrawal from parts of Donetsk and US recognition of Russian control over Donetsk, Lugansk, and Crimea. Washington has since revised the plan after talks in Geneva, but the details have not been made public.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that pressure might be unfairly placed on Ukraine, the “weaker side,” while Macron praised new US sanctions on Russia’s energy sector, calling them a potential “game changer.”
Meanwhile, Russia claimed on Monday to have captured the strategic city of Pokrovsk. A missile strike in Dnipro also killed four people and injured nearly two dozen, according to local officials. By the end of November, Russia controlled roughly 19.3 percent of Ukrainian territory, partly or fully, according to ISW analysis.
