Ukraine and Russia Are Souring on U.S. Negotiations

Last August, Russia triumphantly presented a summit with the United States in Alaska as a breakthrough in its war to conquer Ukraine, later waxing poetic about the “spirit of Anchorage.” Almost a year later, that spirit is gone. On Wednesday, top Russian foreign-policy official Yuri Ushakov told Russian media: “I don’t know about the ‘spirit of Anchorage.’ I’ve never used that phrase.” Ukraine, meanwhile, has been increasingly and publicly sour on U.S. mediation, even as its military efforts sta

side, negotiations have been led first by Steve Witkoff, a real estate developer and friend of U.S. President Donald Trump, and later jointly by Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law. The Kremlin initially appeared willing to woo the Witkoff team, with Witkoff traveling to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin personally six times for marathon negotiations , as well as meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov . Russia also dispatched Kirill Dmitriev , a businessman, to represent the economic components of a U.S.-Russia deal on Ukraine. But despite the full-court press, little progress has been made. Russia has been unwilling to cede its demand for full control of Ukraine’s Donbas region, and the U.S. side has proven unwilling or unable to pressure Ukraine into giving it up. A senior European diplomat who was not authorized to speak on the record said they believed that the U.S. side had felt frustrated about Ukraine not giving up Donbas despite U.S. pressure —but that the United States believed Russia would eventually take the Donbas in time, which would then reopen the way for a negotiated peace deal. Trump has repeatedly framed Russia as the stronger power in the war, telling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a February 2025 meeting that Ukraine didn’t “have the cards” and saying in December 2025 that Ukraine was “ losing .” U.S. Vice President JD Vance previously argued that Ukraine would likely lose the Donbas.

Key points

• side, negotiations have been led first by Steve Witkoff, a real estate developer and friend of U.S.
• President Donald Trump, and later jointly by Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.
• The Kremlin initially appeared willing to woo the Witkoff team, with Witkoff traveling to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin personally six times for marathon negotiations , as well as…
• Russia also dispatched Kirill Dmitriev , a businessman, to represent the economic components of a U.S.-Russia deal on Ukraine.
• But despite the full-court press, little progress has been made.