MOSCOW -- A five-hour meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff that ended after midnight on Wednesday failed to produce a compromise plan for settling the Ukraine crisis.
Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov on Wednesday described the conversation as "extremely useful, constructive and highly informative," saying that the two sides reviewed documents previously conveyed by the United States and agreed not to disclose the essence of the talks.
Territorial issues central to talks
Russia had received a US-proposed 28-point plan, along with four additional documents concerning a long-term peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis, Ushakov said, noting that Russia could agree to some of the US proposals while remaining critical of a number of others.
He added that both parties declared their readiness to continue working towards a long-term peaceful settlement in Ukraine.
Ushakov said that the two sides discussed specific territorial issues and prospects for future economic cooperation between the two countries.
Without territorial issues, "we see no resolution to the (Ukraine) crisis," he noted.
The official said that Putin had assessed what he called the "destructive actions" taken by European states in relation to the Ukraine settlement.
As for the possibility of a new meeting between the Russian and US presidents, he said it would depend on progress made by aides and foreign ministry representatives.
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He stressed that Russia and the United States were "no further from each other" on the Ukrainian settlement, though "much work remains to be done" in both Washington and Moscow.
Putin has previously said the US-proposed list of points on Ukraine could form a basis for future agreements.
US mediation
The US-proposed 28-point "peace plan" was unveiled last month. The plan was later revised during talks among the United States, Ukraine and Europe in Geneva on Nov 23, though the changes remain unclear.
US President Donald Trump said on Nov 25 that he sent Witkoff to meet with Putin "in the hopes of finalizing this Peace Plan," adding that he hopes to meet with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky soon, but only when the peace deal is finalized or in its final stages.
READ MORE: US says 'more work to be done' after talks with Ukraine over revised peace plan
On Sunday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Witkoff held talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Rubio said "additional progress" had been made on the revised peace plan but noted that "more work remains to be done." He also noted that "another party" must be involved in the process.
Ukraine, Europe seek inclusion
On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European leaders rejected any Ukraine peace arrangement negotiated "without Ukrainians and Europeans."
Zelensky on Tuesday urged transparency in ongoing efforts to end the Ukraine crisis, noting "What matters is ... that there are no games played behind Ukraine's back, that nothing is decided without Ukraine."
During his visit to France on Monday, Zelensky said Ukraine sought to end the conflict "in a dignified manner", calling for "solid" security guarantees. He also acknowledged that territorial issues would be "the most difficult" aspect in future negotiations.
The latest meeting with Putin marked Witkoff's sixth visit to Moscow this year. His previous visit was on Aug 6, shortly before the United States announced plans for a Trump-Putin summit in the US state of Alaska.
