Same Sticking Point Emerges in 5-Hour Meeting on Ukraine

Tuesday's high-level talks between Russia and the US on ending the Ukraine war stretched for five hours but ended without a peace deal, though Russian officials categorized the discussions as "useful" and "constructive." The Kremlin meeting involved Vladimir Putin and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the main sticking point remains the issue of territory, with Moscow insisting that Ukraine cede the entire Donbas region—a region that CNN reports Russia has "annexed but not yet conquered." More:

• The Wall Street Journal reports Volodymyr Zelensky has balked at the idea of giving up territory that Russia has not captured, while the BBC quotes him as saying the "territorial issue is the most difficult" of those the peace talks are attempting to resolve. BBC analyst Paul Adams observes "nothing in Russia's public pronouncements to date to suggest that [its territorial demands] have changed in any way."
• A key line from Ushakov: "Some of the American proposals look more or less acceptable, though they need to be discussed. Some wording that was proposed does not suit us. That is, the work will continue."
• Putin, ahead of the meeting, accused European leaders of trying to sabotage peace efforts and said Russia is ready to fight Europe if provoked. "We do not plan to fight Europe ... But if Europe wants to fight us, and starts it, then we're ready right now," he said at a Moscow investment forum. The Journal calls the lines "some of Putin's most pointed criticism of Europe."

• A side note from Politico: The meeting commenced nearly three hours after it was scheduled to begin, which it calls "[unsurprising] for those who know the Russian president's habit of keeping foreign dignitaries twiddling their thumbs."
• The original American plan reportedly included restrictions on Ukraine's military size, barred Kyiv from joining NATO, and required the surrender of key Ukrainian territory. European and Ukrainian objections led to some revisions, including a higher cap on Ukraine's armed forces and a deferred decision on the territorial issue.