Putin rejects parts of US peace plan for Ukraine war

U.S. President Donald Trump has launched the most intensive effort yet to halt the conflict since Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly four years ago. But the initiative has again hit long-standing obstacles, particularly over whether Ukraine must cede territory to Russia and how future security guarantees for Kyiv would work.

Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, in Miami later Thursday, according to a senior Trump administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Putin described his five-hour talks with Witkoff and Kushner in the Kremlin on Tuesday as “necessary,” “useful” and “difficult,” noting that some parts of the U.S. proposal were impossible for Russia to accept.

Speaking to India Today TV ahead of a visit to New Delhi, Putin said both sides “had to go through each point” of the U.S. plan, which prolonged the discussions. Russian state agencies Tass and RIA Novosti released excerpts before the full interview aired.

“It was a very concrete conversation,” Putin said, adding that while Moscow is prepared to discuss certain provisions, “others we can’t agree to.”

Trump said Wednesday that his envoys left Moscow convinced that Putin genuinely wants to reach a settlement. “Their impression was very strongly that he’d like to make a deal,” he said.

Putin declined to detail which points were acceptable or unacceptable, saying it was “premature” and could hinder the negotiation process, according to Tass.

European leaders, excluded from the direct talks between Washington, Moscow and Kyiv, have accused Putin of merely appearing to support Trump’s peace initiative.

Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities continued overnight. A missile strike in Kryvyi Rih on Wednesday injured six people, including a 3-year-old girl, and damaged dozens of homes, a school and gas pipelines, city chief Oleksandr Vilkul said.

In Kherson, a 6-year-old girl died after being wounded by artillery fire the previous day, regional military head Oleksandr Prokudin reported. The Kherson Thermal Power Plant, which supplies heat to more than 40,000 residents, was forced to shut down Thursday following days of Russian drone and artillery strikes, he said.

Authorities have convened emergency meetings to secure alternative heating sources. In the meantime, warming tents with charging points have been set up across the city, reports UNB. 

In Odesa, Russian drone strikes wounded six people and damaged civilian and energy infrastructure, regional administrator Oleh Kiper said.

Ukrainian officials reported that Russia launched two ballistic missiles and 138 drones overnight.

In the Russia-occupied part of Kherson, two men were killed and a 68-year-old woman was wounded when a Ukrainian drone hit their vehicle, Moscow-installed regional head Vladimir Saldo said.