Putin rejects territorial concessions and foreign troops in Ukraine after US envoy talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin ruled out territorial concessions and rejected foreign peacekeeping troops in Ukraine during Kremlin talks with US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, instead proposing a temporary ceasefire in the frontline city of Kostyantynivka. Putin insisted any settlement must recognise a clear state border, dismissing demilitarised "grey zones" and warning foreign forces would be a "legitimate target" and mean "continuation of war". The televised meeting followed two days of negotiations in Abu Dhabi, with Putin's stance undermining hopes of an imminent breakthrough despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's optimism about a "window of opportunity" before 2027. The envoys are scheduled to meet Zelenskyy in Dublin, where around 50 European leaders gathered, with European Council President Antonio Costa arguing against creating a new security framework. Russian strikes killed one person in Kyiv overnight, while a car bomb in Saint Petersburg killed a Russian soldier.