Trump Envoys Meet Putin in Moscow as U.S. Pushes Revamped Ukraine Peace Plan

In a dramatic escalation of President Donald Trump’s bid to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow this morning for face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin.

The high-stakes meeting, confirmed by both the White House and the Kremlin just hours ago, marks the first direct top-level U.S.–Russia contact on Ukraine since the failed Alaska summit in August. Sources inside the talks describe the atmosphere as “businesslike but tense,” with Putin personally receiving the American delegation in the Senate Palace.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Florida: “President Trump is determined to stop the killing. The United States has put a fair, realistic 19-point framework on the table that protects American interests, ends the bloodshed, and prevents World War III. The ball is now in President Putin’s court.”

The revised plan – dramatically slimmed down from the controversial 28-point draft that Kyiv initially rejected as a “Kremlin wish list” – was finalized last weekend during marathon sessions in Geneva and at a private Florida golf club owned by Witkoff. Key changes include:

• Phased ceasefire tied to the release of $300 billion in frozen Russian assets for Ukrainian reconstruction
• Temporary Russian administration of a narrow demilitarized buffer zone in Donbas under UN monitoring (no permanent annexation language)
• Bilateral U.S.–Russia security arrangement that effectively blocks Ukrainian NATO membership for at least 20 years
• Joint U.S.–Russia investment fund for Ukrainian critical minerals and post-war rebuilding

A senior State Department official traveling with the delegation told reporters on background: “We’re not asking Ukraine to surrender. We’re asking both sides to make painful but realistic compromises so American taxpayers aren’t funding this war forever.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov struck a cautiously optimistic tone ahead of the meeting, saying Russia views the new document as “a possible basis for negotiations” but stressed that “core issues – the neutrality of Ukraine, recognition of new territorial realities, and ironclad guarantees against NATO enlargement – remain non-negotiable.”

Putin himself has not yet spoken publicly, but Russian state television showed footage of the U.S. delegation’s motorcade entering the Kremlin gates, with commentators describing the visit as “potentially historic.”

In Kyiv’s reaction has been guarded. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking in Paris after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, said: “We are ready for a just and lasting peace, but not for capitulation disguised as diplomacy. Any agreement must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Europeans must have a seat at the table – this cannot be decided over our heads.”

European leaders expressed alarm at the pace of U.S.–Russia bilateral talks. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that “pressuring the victim while the aggressor sits comfortably risks rewarding imperialism.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a joint statement calling for “full consultation with Ukraine and Europe before any deal is finalized.”

On Wall Street, markets rallied sharply on the news, with the Dow jumping more than 600 points and European gas futures dropping 8% on hopes of de-escalation.

President Trump, posting on Truth Social from Mar-a-Lago, wrote: “Big meeting in Moscow right now! Steve & Jared are doing a fantastic job. Putin knows I mean business – no more endless wars, no more billions & billions wasted. Peace is close if Russia acts smart. Ukraine will be safe & strong. WINNING!”

The Moscow talks are expected to last into the evening. A joint readout is anticipated before midnight EST. If progress is made, Trump has signaled he may invite both Putin and Zelenskyy to a signing ceremony in the United States as early as next month.

For now, the world holds its breath as America’s bold diplomatic gamble enters its most critical hours.