U.S. peace talk focus shifts to Moscow this week

Diplomats face an uphill battle to reconcile Russian and Ukrainian “red lines” as a renewed U.S.-led push to end the war gathers steam, with Ukrainian officials attending talks in the U.S. over the weekend and Washington officials expected in Moscow early this week.

- BY DASHA LITVINOVA AND ISOBEL KOSHIW

CHRISTOPHE ENA Pool Photo

AT RIGHT, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Emmanuel Macron talk in Paris.

President Trump's peace plan became public last month, sparking alarm that it was too favorable to Moscow. It was revised after talks in Geneva between the U.S. and Ukraine a week ago.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the revised plan could be “workable.” Russian President Vladimir Putin called it a possible “basis” for a future peace agreement. Trump said Sunday “there's a good chance we can make a deal.”

Still, officials on both sides indicated a long road ahead as key sticking points — over whether Kyiv should cede land to Moscow and how to ensure Ukraine’s future security — appear unresolved.

Here is where things stand and what to expect this week:

Talks with Ukraine, then the Kremlin

Trump representatives met the Ukrainian officials over the weekend and plan to meet with the Russians in coming days.

Ukraine’s national security council head Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine’s armed forces Andrii Hnatov, presidential advisor Oleksandr Bevz and others met with U.S. officials for about four hours Sunday.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the session was productive but more work remains. Umerov praised the U.S. for its support but offered no details.

Zelensky’s former chief of staff and former lead negotiator for Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, resigned Friday amid a corruption scandal and is no longer part of the negotiating team. It was only a week ago that Rubio met with Yermak in Geneva, resulting in a revised peace plan.

Trump said last week that he would send his envoy Steve Witkoff to Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Monday that Putin will meet Witkoff on Tuesday afternoon.