Kathrine Frich
Neither Kyiv nor Washington has publicly explained why the Brussels meeting was called off
Efforts to revive negotiations over Russia’s war in Ukraine suffered a fresh setback on Wednesday after a planned meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and a visiting US delegation collapsed at the last moment.
The abrupt cancellation followed talks between Donald Trump’s envoys and Vladimir Putin in Moscow, raising new questions about the direction of the proposed peace process.
Sudden cancellation
Citing unnamed sources, Kyiv Post correspondent Alex Raufoglu wrote on X that the Brussels meeting “has been canceled” and that Zelensky, who had been in Ireland on Tuesday, was returning to Kyiv.
Raufoglu also said that Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would head back to Washington instead of continuing on to Europe for further discussions.
The Kremlin, meanwhile, claimed that Witkoff and Kushner had “promised” to fly directly to the United States after meeting Putin.
That assertion has not been confirmed by American officials.
Their talks in Moscow reportedly included senior Kremlin advisers in addition to Putin and the two US representatives.
Kyiv shifts focus to Europe
Zelensky wrote on X that Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council chief Rustem Umerov briefed him on preparations for Wednesday’s separate meetings in Brussels with national security advisers from European governments.
He said Umerov would be joined by General Staff chief Andriy Hnatov.
“This is our ongoing coordination with partners and we are ensuring that the negotiation process is fully active,” Zelensky wrote.
He added that Ukrainian officials would share what was known “from yesterday’s contacts of the American side in Moscow” and discuss the European dimension of future security arrangements.
The president noted that Umerov and Hnatov would later begin preparations “for a meeting with President Trump’s representatives in the United States.”
Washington’s position
The meeting in Brussels coincided with a gathering of NATO foreign ministers, which US Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not attend.
Rubio told Fox News from Washington that negotiations had produced some movement after ten months, but stressed that the outcome depended on Russia’s leader.
“We’ve come close, but we’re not there yet… Only Putin can end this war on the Russian side,” Rubio said.
According to Digi24, his comments reflected cautious optimism while acknowledging that the path to an agreement remains uncertain.
Mixed signals from Moscow
Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said the talks in Moscow lasted nearly five hours and yielded “no compromise” on ending the war, though he described the discussions as “constructive, very useful and substantial.”
The US delegation’s visit followed a review of an earlier 28 point proposal that Europe and Kyiv dismissed as a Russian “wish list.”
Ushakov said the talks focused on the “essence” of the proposals rather than specific language, and that both sides would “continue contacts.”
He added that any presidential level meeting “will depend on the progress we can make.”
A Russian official previously told NBC News that Moscow has three non negotiable positions: control of Donbas, limits on Ukraine’s armed forces and Western recognition of Russia’s territorial claims.
Ushakov confirmed that territory remains the “most important” question, saying: “Some American elaborations seem more or less acceptable. Some formulations do not suit us.”
Diplomatic theatrics
POLITICO reported that Putin kept the American delegation waiting for more than an hour before their meeting, using that time to deliver a speech in which he claimed Russia was “prepared” for war with Europe if provoked.
Ushakov also said the two sides discussed future economic cooperation, describing “huge prospects” if progress is achieved.
Putin’s economic envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, summed up the tone with a photo captioned: “Productive.”
Sources: Digi24, Kyiv Post, POLITICO, NBC News.
