A planned meeting in Brussels between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a visiting US delegation that included US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has been canceled.
Kyiv Post’s Chief Correspondent in Washington DC Alex Raufoglu, citing his sources, wrote on X that “the Brussels meeting is called off,” adding that Zelensky is returning to Ukraine.
He added that the Kremlin claims Witkoff and Kushner “promised” to fly directly to Washington following their talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow – a statement not confirmed by the US side.
The reason for the cancellation has not been disclosed.
Zelensky later wrote on Telegram that National Security and Defense Council (RNBO) Secretary Rustem Umerov had briefed him on preparations for Wednesday’s meetings in Brussels with national security advisers from European countries.
Umerov will be joined by Ukraine’s Chief of General Staff Andriy Hnatov.
“Ukrainian representatives will inform their European colleagues about what is known following yesterday’s US contacts in Moscow and will also discuss the European component of the necessary security architecture,” Zelensky said.
He added that after Brussels, Umerov and Hnatov will prepare for a meeting with Trump’s representatives in the US.
“As always, Ukraine will work constructively for real peace. I look forward to a new report on the results of today’s meetings in Europe,” Zelensky said.
Russia and the US reached “no compromise” after nearly five hours of talks on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said late Tuesday, despite calling the discussions “constructive, very useful and substantive.”
He also announced that Witkoff and Kushner will return to Washington rather than head to Europe or Kyiv for further talks.
The Moscow meeting brought together Witkoff, Kushner, Putin and top Kremlin aides. It followed revisions to an earlier 28-point plan dismissed by Europe and Kyiv as a Russian “wish list.”
Ushakov said the talks focused on “the essence” of the proposals rather than “specific formulations” and that Moscow would “continue [contact]” with Washington. A presidential-level meeting, he added, “will depend on what progress we can achieve.”
A Russian official earlier told NBC News that there were three non-negotiable pillars for Moscow: “the territory of the Donbas,” limits on Ukraine’s armed forces, and Western recognition of Russia’s territorial claims.
Ushakov said territory remains “the most important” issue: “Some American developments look more or less acceptable... Some formulations do not suit us.”
Putin reportedly kept the US delegation waiting for more than an hour while he delivered a speech declaring Russia “ready” for war with Europe if provoked.
Ushakov also said the sides discussed “huge prospects” for future US-Russian economic cooperation if progress is made. Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s economic envoy, captured the mood more simply, posting a photo of the talks with the caption: “Productive.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced cautious optimism Tuesday about ongoing efforts to broker a Russia-Ukraine peace deal, saying that any breakthrough ultimately depends on Putin.
Rubio, who remained in Washington while the US delegation traveled to Moscow, told Fox News host Hannity that Ukraine is ready to negotiate, and the war remains brutally costly.
He called Russia’s invasion “the most illogical war,” noting that Russian forces are losing “roughly 7,000 soldiers per week.” The fighting, he added, is now over “a 30-to-50-kilometer space [sic] and the 20 percent of the Donetsk region that remains.”
As for a peace deal, Rubio said progress has been made after 10 months of engagement, but the end is not yet in sight. “We’ve gotten closer, but we’re still not there... Only Putin can end this war on the Russian side.”