The Kremlin has said that talks on Ukraine between President Vladimir Putin and a US delegation were "useful" but warned that "a lot of work" remains before any agreement can be reached.
Putin met US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner in Moscow for discussions on a revised US draft plan aimed at ending the almost four-year war.
The meeting lasted nearly five hours, according to Russian media.
Foreign policy adviser Kirill Dmitriev, who took part in the talks, described the discussions as "productive."
A second senior aide, Yuri Ushakov, said the meeting had been "constructive, very useful and substantive."
Acceptance for US, not for EU
Putin earlier criticised European proposals for a settlement, calling them "not acceptable."
He added: "We are not going to fight with Europe, but if Europe wants to fight with us, we are ready right now."
Despite Moscow’s position, Dmitriev said the Russian side viewed continued dialogue with Washington as important, while emphasising that significant issues still needed to be resolved.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that parts of the draft plan "still need to be worked out” but noted that “now more than ever, there is a chance to end this war."
On the ground, Ukraine’s military said fighting continued in the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a day after the Kremlin claimed its forces had taken control of the area.
Kiev has not confirmed the loss of the city.
The United States has been engaged in parallel negotiations with Kiev and Moscow on the revised peace proposal, which Washington hopes could form the basis for a phased settlement.
The Kremlin has signalled that it sees elements of the US plan as reflecting "compromise solutions" but has rejected any suggestion of concessions on what it calls fundamental security concerns.
"So far we haven't found a compromise, but some American solutions can be discussed," top Kremlin aide Ushakov said in answer to a journalist's question about occupied Ukrainian territories.
"Some proposed formulations do not fit us, and work will continue," he added.
For now, both Russia and Ukraine say they remain open to further talks, while the US is expected to hold additional consultations in the coming days.
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Source: TRT