Diplomatic Deadlock: Moscow Talks Yield No Progress on Ukraine Conflict

Steve Witkoff's recent trip to Moscow has ended without significant advancements in resolving the ongoing Ukraine war, as Kremlin aides acknowledged the lack of progress following extensive diplomatic negotiations. The meetings, which spanned two weeks, were marked by chaos and uncertainty, beginning with Russia releasing a detailed 28-point wishlist that it had discussed with the U.S. This move prompted frantic efforts from Ukraine and European allies to formulate a counterproposal that would be more palatable to Kyiv. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov conveyed that after a five-hour discussion, there was no tangible progress between the two sides, noting, "There is a lot of work to be done." During the meeting, a video feed displayed Russian President Vladimir Putin engaging with Witkoff, Donald Trump's envoy, as he commented on the beauty of Moscow before the feed was abruptly cut. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his concern on Tuesday about the potential waning interest of the U.S. in the Ukrainian peace process. "If somebody from our allies is tired... I'm afraid," Zelenskyy stated at an event in Dublin. He emphasized the importance of receiving signals from the U.S. delegation following its meeting with Putin and reiterated his readiness to meet with Trump. He stressed that the outcome of current discussions would dictate the future of the peace efforts. Amid these diplomatic tensions, Putin leveraged the meetings to assert a readiness for conflict with Europe, claiming that European nations were obstructing U.S. efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine. He characterized these nations as being on the side of war, without specifying which demands he deemed unacceptable. In a separate development, Ukrainian authorities have detained Ross David Cutmore, a British military instructor accused of espionage and planning targeted assassinations for Russia. The 40-year-old, alleged to have been recruited by Russia's FSB intelligence agency, faces grave charges related to attacks on Ukrainian soil between 2024 and 2025. The British Foreign Office responded by providing consular assistance to Cutmore and maintaining close communication with Ukrainian authorities. In another incident, a Russian-flagged tanker reportedly under Ukrainian drone attack off the Turkish coast was carrying sunflower oil to Georgia; however, the 13 crew members remained unharmed. Despite claims, Ukraine has denied involvement in the attack on the Midvolga-2. This incident follows reports of multiple attacks on Russian-linked vessels in the Black Sea, which have been attributed to Ukrainian naval drone operations targeting covert oil shipments. Putin condemned these assaults as acts of piracy, threatening retaliatory measures against vessels associated with nations aiding Ukraine, while also signaling an escalation of attacks on Ukrainian infrastructural and maritime targets. Confusion surrounding a separate attack on the Panamanian-flagged Mersin oil tanker off the coast of Dakar leaves experts divided on possible Ukrainian involvement in that incident as well. On the European front, the European Commission is poised to propose legislation this week that would utilize frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine financially. Additionally, it is exploring borrowing options on financial markets as part of a comprehensive package to assist Ukraine amid pressing financial demands. This initiative follows an agreement among EU leaders in October to meet Ukraine's immediate financial needs over the next two years. Nevertheless, strong objections from the Belgian government, concerned about potential legal repercussions due to its hosting of Euroclear, which contains a significant portion of frozen Russian assets, has complicated plans to endorse the draft proposal. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2