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By Staff Writer
A meeting between President Zelenskyy and a US delegation has been cancelled after talks in Russia on the war in Ukraine concluded without a breakthrough.
Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s special envoy, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, spoke to President Putin and other Russian officials in Moscow for five hours on Tuesday but failed to make any headway on a peace deal.
The US negotiators were due to brief Zelenskyy in Brussels the next day. However, Witkoff and Kushner left Moscow on Tuesday night for Washington, the Kremlin said.
“The Brussels meeting is called off,” a Kyiv Post correspondent in Washington wrote on X, citing sources. Zelenskyy was returning to Ukraine, the correspondent added.
No explanation was provided, but the abrupt cancellation is likely to reflect the lack of any progress on ending the war, which will mark its fourth anniversary in February.
The talks in Moscow came after Putin accused European countries of trying to sabotage peace negotiations with “absolutely unacceptable” demands.
The Kremlin insisted that reports of Putin rejecting a US proposal on 02 December were inaccurate. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, said it was wrong to claim Moscow dismissed the plan during a five-hour meeting with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Asked whether it was fair to say Putin rejected the American plan, Peskov replied: “No, that would not be correct.” He said the talks were the first direct exchange of views between Russian and US officials on the proposal. “Some things were accepted, some were described as unacceptable. This is a normal working process and a search for compromise.”
Despite that, the Kremlin admitted there was no progress. Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s aide, said no compromise plan had been found.
NATO intelligence assessments also show no shift in Russia’s position. Alliance officials say there is no evidence Putin wants a peace agreement. They believe Moscow is trying to create the appearance of engagement while continuing military pressure. They also view Putin’s claim that Russia would be “ready for war” with Europe as an attempt to intimidate the West.
The threat was dismissed in Brussels. Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister and incoming NATO Secretary General, said the Alliance would not be deterred.
“Finally, Nato is a defensive alliance. We will remain a defensive alliance, but make no mistake, we are ready and willing to do what it takes to protect our one billion people and secure our territory,” he said.
Rutte said Ukraine continued to show resilience. “Putin believes he can outlast us,” he said. “We are not going anywhere.” He described the latest talks among NATO ministers as “another clear sign that he is wrong.” He said members were increasing defence investment, boosting production and stepping up support for Ukraine ahead of next year’s Ankara summit.
He also warned that NATO faced wider risks. “Russia continues its brutal war against Ukraine, increasingly targeting its people and critical infrastructure as winter sets in,” he said. “Russia is also demonstrating increasingly reckless behaviour when it comes to Nato, such as violating our airspace, conducting cyber attacks and deploying spaceships to map allies undersea infrastructure. These incidents underscored a need for unwavering vigilance.”
While Moscow attempts to shape the narrative, the EU is preparing to increase financial and military backing for Kyiv. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc planned to fund two-thirds of Ukraine’s financing needs for the next two years, worth €90bn. The remainder would come from international partners.
She said the EU aimed to strengthen Ukraine’s position in any talks. She told reporters the EU wanted to help Ukrainians “equip them with the means to defend themselves and to lead peace negotiations from a position of strength.”
Von der Leyen said the plan included using cash balances from immobilised Russian assets held in the EU. The proceeds would be channelled into a loan for Ukraine, which Kyiv would repay when Russia pays reparations. She said the funds would be used mainly for military support sourced from Europe and the EEA, with occasional purchases from elsewhere.
“Since pressure is the only language, the Kremlin responds to, we can dial it up. We have to increase the costs of war for Putin’s aggression, and today’s proposal gives us the means to do this.”
Belgium has continued to object to the plan on legal grounds, though von der Leyen said the Commission had listened “very carefully” to its concerns and had taken “almost all of them into account.” She said “very strong safeguards”would protect Belgium from legal action. “We will share the burden in a fair way,” she said.
For Kyiv, the stalled talks fit a long-standing assessment that Putin is not seeking a genuine settlement. Western governments now expect the war to continue through winter and into next year, with Russia maintaining pressure on Ukraine’s cities and energy systems.
Rutte closed the Brussels meeting with a warning that support for Ukraine must not falter. “Our support must continue unabated to help Ukraine defend itself today, and deter tomorrow, for their own sake and for ours,” he said.