The Kremlin on Friday urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to enter negotiations “now,” warning that further delays could cost Kyiv more territory as Russian forces press their offensive.
The remarks come as Washington has offered a draft peace proposal that mirrors parts of Moscow’s negotiating position – without consulting Kyiv or EU allies in advance.
The 28-point document would require Ukraine to make major concessions, including on territory, military capacity, and politics, while offering security guarantees and economic support.
“The effective work of the Russian armed forces should convince Zelensky: it is better to negotiate and do it now rather than later,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RIA-Novosti.
“The space for the freedom of decision-making is shrinking for him as territories are lost during offensive actions by the Russian army.”
Peskov said Russia is ready to engage in talks to end the war but stressed that no peace plan is currently being discussed, despite reports that the United States has shared a proposal with both sides.
“There are certain ideas coming from the American side, but nothing is being discussed in detail right now,” he said.
“We see some new proposals, but we have not officially received anything, and there has been no substantive discussion of these points.”
Pressed on how acceptable the Kremlin finds the reported provisions of President Donald Trump’s peace plan, Peskov refused to elaborate.
“Do you want us to negotiate such a complex matter in a megaphone mode?” he said. “We are open to peace talks for the sake of successful peace talks, not for the sake of the process.
We want these talks to be successful, and for that reason we are not ready to discuss them in a megaphone mode.”
While both US and Ukrainian officials confirm that a draft proposal exists, its contents are still unclear, fueling speculation that it could include everything from “rental fees” for the Donbas region to reconstruction revenues for the US.
President Volodymyr Zelensky received the draft from the US on Thursday and plans to discuss it soon with US President Donald Trump.