As Washington prepares to send a delegation to Moscow next week and Kyiv readies for discussions with U.S. officials, major gaps remain between Ukraine, Russia and the United States on the core elements of a possible peace plan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the US-drafted 28-point proposal could serve as a foundation for negotiation, but stressed that no final agreement has been reached.
“Some things are fundamental,” Putin said. “We must sit down seriously and discuss specific issues.”
Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said Kyiv remains committed to achieving a “lasting and dignified peace,” noting that several components of the U.S. plan have already been revised after talks with American negotiators.
However, deep divisions persist over three central questions: whether Ukraine must withdraw from parts of Donbas; whether its military should be capped at 600,000 personnel, and; whether it must legally forgo joining NATO.
Analysts say these disagreements represent long-standing “red lines” for both sides.
“The gap remains wide,” said Chen Yu of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, pointing to conflicting demands over territory, demilitarization and NATO’s future expansion.
With negotiations approaching, both Moscow and Kyiv insist that durable peace will require concessions — but neither appears ready to compromise on their most sensitive security priorities.
