President Putin personally hosted White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for an extended five-hour Kremlin meeting last week, signaling serious Russian interest in President Trump’s peace proposals for Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov subsequently praised Trump as the only western leader who understands what made the Ukraine conflict “inevitable,” while numerous other Moscow officials have welcomed the American administration’s diplomatic initiative. This enthusiastic Russian response has alarmed Ukraine and its European supporters about the likely terms of any Trump-brokered agreement.
Trump acknowledged Wednesday that Russia appears comfortable with his draft peace plan while expressing doubt about Ukrainian acceptance, creating diplomatic dynamics heavily favoring Moscow’s position. The American president claimed he wasn’t certain whether Zelenskyy had even read the proposal, questioning Ukraine’s engagement with the peace process. Skeptics note there’s little concrete evidence that Russia is prepared to accept any agreement, even one including significant Ukrainian territorial concessions, as Putin has consistently demanded a “comprehensive settlement” addressing broader security concerns.
The reported Trump proposal includes Ukraine surrendering control of the entire Donbas region, territories that Russia has partially occupied since 2014 and has sought to fully capture throughout the current invasion. Such terms would represent a major victory for Moscow, essentially ratifying territorial gains achieved through military force and potentially establishing precedent for future Russian aggression. European leaders have expressed concern about these terms while working to develop alternative security frameworks that might protect Ukraine against subsequent invasions.
Thursday’s coalition video conference will bring together President Zelenskyy and leaders from approximately 30 countries to discuss responses to Trump’s initiative and coordinate international support for Ukraine. The Ukrainian president has mobilized European backing when facing American pressure, repeating a pattern from previous cycles of Trump-led peace efforts. European leaders including Britain’s Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron, and Germany’s Friedrich Merz met in London earlier this week to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, though the substance of potential commitments remains unclear.
The diplomatic situation reflects broader tensions within the western alliance over Ukraine policy. Trump revealed Wednesday that there were “strong words” during discussions with European leaders, acknowledging “little disputes about people” and warning that Europeans risked “wasting time” with additional meetings. The American president set preconditions for US participation in a proposed weekend summit, demanding satisfactory responses to concerns before committing to attend. Meanwhile, Russian forces continued battlefield advances against Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, progressively strengthening Moscow’s negotiating position through military gains that Trump’s peace plan might permanently recognize.