Putin Rejects Key Elements of U.S. Peace Proposal Amid Rising Tensions in Ukraine Conflict
WASHINGTON — Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly rejected significant parts of a U.S.-backed peace proposal aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, officials said Thursday. According to reports, Putin specifically opposed conditions requiring Russia to withdraw from occupied Ukrainian territories.
The rejection comes amid intensified diplomatic efforts following recent meetings in Geneva and Florida between Ukrainian representatives and U.S. administration envoys. A senior U.S. official, speaking on background, described a recent meeting between the United States and Russia as “thorough” and “productive,” noting that new ideas to resolve outstanding issues have been developed and continue to be discussed. Special Envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner have briefed former President Donald Trump and Ukrainian officials and are scheduled to meet with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Meanwhile, the conflict on the ground remains active. Russian forces launched a drone strike on Odesa, injuring at least six people and damaging the city’s energy infrastructure, according to the East2West news agency. Additional Russian strikes wounded six people in Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Russian Defense Ministry released footage showing sustained rocket attacks on Huliaipole. Ukrainian drones reportedly targeted Nevinnomyssk Azot, a key supplier of explosives and rocket fuel components.
In a related development, former Russian President and Security Council Deputy Chair Dmitry Medvedev issued a warning to the European Union regarding the use of frozen Russian state assets. Medvedev cautioned that if the EU attempts to use these assets to financially support Ukraine, Moscow could interpret such actions as a casus belli, or justification for war, with serious consequences for Brussels and individual EU countries. He suggested that any repayment would not be pursued through courts but rather through reparations paid in kind by what he described as “the defeated enemies of Russia.”
Reuters reported that EU leaders are considering ways to leverage approximately €190 billion in frozen Russian assets. The Kremlin’s warnings add to the growing diplomatic tensions surrounding the conflict and the international response.
The situation remains fluid as diplomatic talks continue and military actions persist in Ukraine.
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