FEATURE | Putin meets Witkoff and Kushner for over four hours to discuss Ukraine peace

Putin said Russia did not want war with Europe, but that if Europe started one, it would end so swiftly that there would be no one left for Russia to negotiate with. Putin also threatened to sever Ukraine's access to the sea in response to drone attacks on tankers of Russia's "shadow fleet" in the Black Sea. Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, said Putin's remarks showed he was not ready to end the war.

Russian forces control more than 19 per cent of Ukraine, or 115,600 square kilometres (45,000 square miles), up only one percentage point from two years ago, though they have advanced in 2025 at the fastest pace since 2022, according to pro-Ukrainian maps.

Zelenskiy, speaking in Dublin, said everything would depend on the talks in Moscow but that he was afraid the United States could lose interest in the peace process.

"There will be no easy solutions ... It is important that everything is fair and open, so that there are no games behind Ukraine's back," he said.