Russia and the United States plan to continue discussing a peace plan in secret and will not speak publicly about new talks, the Kremlin said. Moscow also insists its position has been strengthened by the “combat exploits” of the Russian military in Ukraine.
During President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with White House special representative Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, the Kremlin presented its “key proposals” on the war in Ukraine, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said.
Ushakov’s comments appeared around 3 p.m. on December 3, TASS reported. He said the main topic of the Putin–Witkoff conversation concerned the war in Ukraine exclusively and that they did not discuss Europe’s problems. He added that Europeans had allegedly declined to take part in the talks, while Ukraine dropped out back in the summer of 2025, after a June meeting with Medinsky in Istanbul. According to the Kremlin official, the “successes of recent weeks” in the Russia–Ukraine war influenced Washington’s willingness to heed Moscow’s position.
“Our Russian soldiers, through their combat exploits, helped ensure that our foreign partners’ assessments of the path to a peaceful settlement became more structured,” Ushakov said in a video statement.
Russian media published additional remarks from the official. It emerged that Putin and Witkoff also discussed NATO, though no details were provided. Ushakov reiterated Russia’s goal of a “long-term settlement” and did not mention the ceasefire idea Trump had floated earlier.
“By agreement with the United States, Russia will not disclose details of the negotiations on Ukraine. Russia is currently not negotiating on Ukraine with anyone except the United States,” TASS quoted Putin’s aide as saying.
On December 2, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow and met Putin after a three-hour wait and a walk through the Russian capital. Meanwhile, Putin spoke about Europe, warning that if Europeans attack, he is ready to fight.
After the five-hour meeting, media outlets published three main points on which Moscow insists and refuses to compromise. The sticking points are claims to the non-occupied part of Donetsk region, a reduction of Ukraine’s armed forces, and worldwide recognition of territories occupied by Russia.
The first reports of a new US–Russia peace plan surfaced on November 20–21. Western media published a 28-point document with demands for Ukraine’s capitulation and details of understandings between Washington and Moscow. Later, Bloomberg obtained an audio recording of conversations between Ushakov and Witkoff, and between Ushakov and Dmitriev, discussing the peace plan that had been leaked online and contacts between Putin and Trump.
Journalists also noted Witkoff’s appearance, saying he looked different in meetings with Putin compared with meetings with the Ukrainian delegation.
