Russia appears ready to engage in war with Europe, according to Vladimir Putin, amid US peace talks in Moscow that have ended without progress. The Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described the five-hour meeting between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner as "extremely useful" but emphasized that no agreements were reached on key issues, such as territorial control.
Putin warned that Europe was interfering with peace efforts in Ukraine, accusing it of sabotaging talks. He stated, "Europe is preventing the US administration from achieving peace on Ukraine," adding, "Russia does not intend to fight Europe, but if Europe starts, we are ready right now."
Despite claims of progress by the US delegation, which included discussions of security guarantees, Ushakov said that Russia was unwilling to compromise. The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed skepticism about Russia's willingness to accept concessions.
In a statement on X, Zelenskyy stated that he was "ready to receive all signals" and willing to meet with Trump in the future, but that everything depends on today's discussions. He emphasized that the Ukrainian government had revised its peace plan based on American proposals.
The talks followed weeks of shuttle diplomacy, which has produced several revisions to the US peace proposal. However, bridging the gap remains difficult as Russia's maximalist demands require Ukraine's capitulation.
Trump described the war in Ukraine as a "mess" and not an easy situation to resolve, but Putin's comments seemed aimed at driving a wedge between Washington and European capitals. The Kremlin has stated that it will only engage in talks if its goals are met, including deep cuts to Ukraine's armed forces and limits on its sovereignty.
Russia recently claimed to have captured the strategic city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine, which Ukraine disputed. Despite this, Putin hailed the capture as an "important" victory for Russian forces.
Putin warned that Europe was interfering with peace efforts in Ukraine, accusing it of sabotaging talks. He stated, "Europe is preventing the US administration from achieving peace on Ukraine," adding, "Russia does not intend to fight Europe, but if Europe starts, we are ready right now."
Despite claims of progress by the US delegation, which included discussions of security guarantees, Ushakov said that Russia was unwilling to compromise. The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed skepticism about Russia's willingness to accept concessions.
In a statement on X, Zelenskyy stated that he was "ready to receive all signals" and willing to meet with Trump in the future, but that everything depends on today's discussions. He emphasized that the Ukrainian government had revised its peace plan based on American proposals.
The talks followed weeks of shuttle diplomacy, which has produced several revisions to the US peace proposal. However, bridging the gap remains difficult as Russia's maximalist demands require Ukraine's capitulation.
Trump described the war in Ukraine as a "mess" and not an easy situation to resolve, but Putin's comments seemed aimed at driving a wedge between Washington and European capitals. The Kremlin has stated that it will only engage in talks if its goals are met, including deep cuts to Ukraine's armed forces and limits on its sovereignty.
Russia recently claimed to have captured the strategic city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine, which Ukraine disputed. Despite this, Putin hailed the capture as an "important" victory for Russian forces.
. I mean, if Europe's really interferin' with peace talks, shouldn't he be pointin' fingers at Russia instead of us? It's all about playin' the victim card, know what I mean? And him sayin' we're ready for war if Europe starts it? That's just a bold move to intimidate everyone. 
At least Putin is puttin' his foot down and makin' some noise, even if it's all just bluster.
Putin is like a ticking time bomb, you know? he's always playing hard to get and threatening Europe at the same time. i don't think trump or joe biden are taking this seriously enough, they need to be more firm with russia. ukraine's situation is so dire, it's not just about territorial control, it's about human lives... Putin might be trying to scare Europe into getting involved on his side, but if that happens it could lead to a huge war. we can't let that happen 
The fact that Putin said Europe was interfering with peace efforts in Ukraine and accused them of sabotaging talks just seems like a big excuse for him to escalate the situation. 
I'm worried about the situation in Ukraine, and it doesn't look like we'll see any progress anytime soon. 
.
. Trump's saying it's not an easy situation to resolve, but Putin's comments are making it seem like Europe is just being obstinate 
. I'm worried we're going to see a escalation of tensions and maybe even conflict on the ground 
. It's like they're playing chicken with Europe and Ukraine, hoping one of them will blink first 
. I just hope someone comes to their senses soon before it's too late 
.
... back in my day, we thought we were living in a good time, but I guess that was just ignorance 
. What's crazy is how far these talks have come and yet, still, no progress. It's like Putin's tryin' to stir up some drama, maybe even get Europe on his side 
? I mean, Ukraine's got the right to defend itself, but at what cost? 
It's all so... complicated.
. Now, it's like Russia's just tryin' to get its way, no matter what. And Europe's stuck in the middle, tryin' to navigate all this 
But then again, maybe that's just me bein' old...
Ukraine's sovereignty is like the ultimate meme for Russia - they can't handle it 
. Like, they're totally down to fight and all that jazz 
. The US delegation said there were some progress talks, but it was all just talk 
. Russia didn't want to compromise, and Ukraine's president doesn't think they'll budge 
. It's a bit of a mess, tbh 
#PeaceOverWar #RussiaAndEurope #UkraineConflict
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is definitely not afraid to speak his mind and call out Russia for what he sees. His willingness to meet with Trump in the future is a good sign, maybe we'll see some progress soon? 
. With Putin's maximalist demands, it feels like Russia will only agree to talks if they get everything they want. That's not exactly how diplomacy works 
Ukraine disputed its capture, but Putin still called it an "important" victory... weird, right? Maybe it's just my opinion, but I think this whole situation is super tense and needs to be defused ASAP 
. If Europe really wants to stop this war, they need to put their foot down and not let him get away with these empty threats 
. Trump said it was a "mess" so I agree 
. And can we please stop letting Putin get away with these provocative statements? 
... I mean, if Putin's willing to fight over some strategic city, what's the point of even negotiating? But at the same time, Trump does seem to be taking Russia's demands pretty seriously 
. And what's with these "deep cuts" to Ukraine's armed forces? That sounds super aggressive 
. Maybe it's time for some fresh perspectives or outside the box thinking 
?
"The die is cast." - Mark Antony 
), but when it comes down to it, Putin's all about getting what he wants without compromising. And let's be real, Russia's maximalist demands are pretty extreme 
They're just trying to drive a wedge between the US and European capitals. And Ukraine's situation is already complicated enough without all these back-and-forth talks. The Ukrainian president is right, though - it does depend on what happens in today's discussions 
This whole situation feels like a giant game of cat and mouse, and we're all just pawns in their game...