Peace Talks Stall as Moscow Pushes Back on US Proposal. After five hours of negotiations in Moscow, talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump's top envoy failed to deliver a breakthrough on a Ukraine peace deal. The Kremlin called the meeting ‘constructive,' but said key parts of the US-backed plan remain unacceptable. Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner joined the meeting after weeks of diplomatic efforts. Meanwhile, Putin doubled down, rejecting changes suggested by Kyiv and Europe, warning that Russia is ‘ready' if Europe escalates. Ukraine insists it must be directly involved in any talks and demands strong security guarantees. Zelensky says the opportunity to end the war is closer than ever, but major disagreements remain—especially over territory and long-term security. On the ground, fighting continues, with Ukraine disputing Russia's claims of capturing key eastern cities. With no compromise in sight, both sides say there's still a long road ahead before any peace deal becomes reality.