Putin Sets Hard Terms as US Envoys Seek Peace

Diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine have stalled after Vladimir Putin set non-negotiable conditions for peace. During meetings in Moscow with U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Putin demanded that Ukraine be excluded from NATO, reduce its military capabilities, and formally cede captured territories to Russia.

Parallel discussions continued in Washington, where Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev met with U.S. officials. While a U.S. official described these talks as constructive and noted potential postwar energy initiatives, the diplomatic track coincided with an escalation in violence. Russia launched ballistic missile strikes across nine Ukrainian regions, including Kiev and Odessa, targeting weapons depots, data centers, and port facilities. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reported that the strikes also damaged residential buildings and schools.

These events follow a meeting in New York between President Donald Trump and President Zelenskiy. The broader security environment remains tense; CIA Director John Ratcliffe previously warned Russia that attacking a NATO member would lead to a confrontation with the United States. In response to these threats, NATO members met in Copenhagen on September 18 to raise military readiness. European nations have since expanded conscription in Denmark and Finland, constructed the Baltic Defense Line, and reactivated emergency war books in Britain, while the European Union advised residents to maintain 72-hour emergency supplies for potential chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear hazards.