Kremlin Aide: Russia's Battlefield Progress in Ukraine Boosted US Peace Talks; Moscow Hopes for Balanced European Stance

Kremlin: Battlefield Gains Influenced US-Russia Peace Talks on Ukraine

Kremlin official Yuri Ushakov asserted on Wednesday that Russia's recent advancements on the battlefield in Ukraine played a significant and positive role in shaping the preceding day's peace discussions held with U.S. envoys in Moscow.

Impact on Negotiations

These high-level discussions featured President Vladimir Putin engaging with former U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Ushakov underscored that "the course and nature of the negotiations were, of course, influenced by the successes of recent weeks...on the battlefield." He elaborated, suggesting that the military exploits of Russian soldiers had fostered "a more positive assessment of the paths to a peaceful settlement by our foreign partners."

Contested Territorial Claims

Prior to these talks, President Putin appeared in video footage, celebrating what his military commanders described as the capture of Pokrovsk, a city located in eastern Ukraine. However, Kyiv swiftly refuted this assertion, maintaining that intense fighting was still ongoing in the area.

Call for Balanced Perception

Ushakov further expressed his optimism that Ukraine and its European allies would similarly adopt "a more balanced attitude and perception of what is going on" in the region.

Current Control and Advances

The ongoing conflict has seen Russian forces establish control over more than 19% of Ukrainian territory, equating to approximately 115,600 square kilometers (45,000 square miles). While this represents only a one-percentage-point increase over the past two years, pro-Ukrainian mapping data indicates that Russian forces have made their fastest territorial gains in 2025 since 2022.