gg2
Ukraine rejects ceding territory
The gist
Zelenskyy told U.S. envoys Ukraine will not cede the Donbas or any other territory to Russia.
The refusal leaves the territorial dispute unresolved and blocks a peace deal.
How it unfolded
- Sep 5, 2026Putin held more than three hours of talks in Moscow with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner; Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov called the talks highly useful but gave no indication of a breakthrough.
- Sep 5, 2026Putin told the envoys Russia was making real progress on the battlefield and stressed the necessity of addressing all the root causes of the conflict; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin ordered the military not to strike Kyiv for three days because of the trip.
- Sep 6, 2026Witkoff and Kushner met Zelenskyy in Kyiv with updated peace proposals; Zelenskyy categorically rejected Russia's demand for the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donbas.