FT: Russia, Ukraine lose faith in US-led peace talks as war drags on

Russia and Ukraine increasingly believe there is little prospect of reviving US-mediated peace negotiations, despite continued diplomatic engagement by Washington and recent efforts by President Donald Trump to broker a ceasefire, Financial Times (FT) reports.

According to people briefed on both sides’ positions, Russian President Vladimir Putin has shifted his focus toward capturing more Ukrainian territory by force, particularly the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Sources familiar with Kremlin thinking said Putin intends to escalate Moscow’s territorial demands further once Russian forces secure full control of the region.

Ukrainian officials, meanwhile, believe Kyiv is now less vulnerable to US pressure for a rapid settlement after managing to slow Russia’s advance and intensify long-range drone strikes deep inside Russian territory.

Although Trump recently claimed that “we are getting closer and closer every day” to a deal after helping secure a brief ceasefire, officials on both sides reportedly see limited value in continuing negotiations. Ukrainian officials said talks had effectively stalled as early as February, accusing Washington of failing to pressure Moscow into moderating its demands.

“There has been zero progress secured by the American side from Russia,” one Ukrainian official said. “Everything which could be negotiated has already been done.”

Russia has also signaled diminishing interest in talks unless Ukraine withdraws from the Donbas. A senior German diplomat said Moscow’s conduct contradicted any genuine willingness to compromise. “The truth is that Russia is still attempting to achieve victory on the battlefield while sticking to its maximalist demands,” the diplomat said.

Despite fading confidence in diplomacy, both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have continued efforts to keep Trump engaged in the peace process. “The US remains engaged in the diplomatic process,” Zelenskyy said, though he acknowledged that the conflict in Iran was now drawing greater American attention.

Russian and Ukrainian officials have separately maintained contacts with Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are expected to visit both countries.

According to sources familiar with Kremlin discussions, Russia’s military leadership has convinced Putin that Russian forces could seize the entire Donbas by autumn. Ukrainian intelligence assessments shared with Western officials reportedly suggest Moscow could then seek additional concessions involving the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Still, analysts note that Russia’s battlefield advances remain slow, while Ukrainian drone operations continue disrupting Russian logistics and military infrastructure far behind the front lines.

Putin nevertheless projected confidence during a recent news conference, declaring that Russia was pursuing “the final defeat of the enemy.” Asked whether Moscow intended to expand a “safety zone” deeper into Ukraine, he replied: “You’ve answered the question yourself. We need to make sure nobody threatens anybody, and that’s it.”

By Vafa Guliyeva