US Envoy Reports Progress in Russia Peace Talks; Putin Rules Out Ukraine Compromise

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner concluded talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday, with Witkoff reporting progress in negotiations to end the Ukraine war, though no details were disclosed. The meeting marked Witkoff's 10th in-person session with Putin since the conflict began, following two days of US-mediated trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi that yielded an agreement in principle on a prisoner-of-war exchange but no broader peace breakthrough. The envoys were expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Dublin later Thursday. Putin signaled no compromise on territorial demands, ruling out foreign peacekeeping troops and proposing only a temporary ceasefire in Kostyantynivka, which Ukraine met with suspicion, citing past Russian misuse of humanitarian operations.