Russia calls US-led peace talks “serious” but insists concessions are off the table

Russia says negotiations brokered by the United States to end the war in Ukraine are “serious”, but warns that any agreement remains distant and that Moscow will not make  concessions to Kyiv.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Wednesday that discussions are ongoing, telling state television: “the process is serious.”

The push follows US President Donald Trump’s 28-point peace plan, details of which were leaked last week. Trump is now sending his top negotiator, Steve Witkoff, to Moscow in a renewed effort to move the process forward.

The plan has since been modified, with US officials insisting the revised version accommodates some of those objections.

Trump has claimed momentum. He said Russia was making concessions and that progress was visible, even though the conflict itself was moving only “in one direction”.

But Moscow is drawing clear lines. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said there could be “no question of any concessions or any surrender of our approaches to those key points”, bluntly undercutting any expectations of flexibility.

Zelensky said on Tuesday that he was prepared to move forward with the US-backed framework and discuss unresolved issues directly with Trump.

At the White House, Trump acknowledged the complexity of the task.

“I thought that would be an easier [deal], but I think we’re making progress,” he said.