Vladimir Putin hosted US negotiators at the Kremlin on Tuesday for five hours of talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, which a Russian official said had been 'productive'.
The discussions with US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner were held behind closed doors and details have not yet emerged.
They came shortly after Putin said European demands over a US-Russia draft peace plan were unacceptable, adding that 'if Europe wants to fight with us, we are ready to do so'.
The US envoys went to Moscow after similar talks with delegates from Kyiv in the last fortnight. Ukraine's President Zelensky said he expected a briefing by the US team after the meeting.
He said there was an opportunity to end the war 'now more than ever' but that elements of the proposals still needed to be worked out.
'Everything depends on today's discussions,' Zelensky told a press conference in Dublin during an official visit to Ireland.
Kyiv representatives have met US negotiators, including Witkoff, Kushner, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, since a 28-point peace plan was circulated in November.
It sparked shock in Ukraine and around Europe for appearing to favor the demands of Moscow, which invaded Ukraine nearly four years ago.
Despite ongoing discussions, key disagreements between Moscow and Kyiv remain, particularly regarding Ukrainian sovereignty over the territories that Russia partly controls and security guarantees.
Meanwhile, fighting continued on the front lines on Tuesday. Ukraine's military stated they were still engaging Russian troops in the critical eastern city of Pokrovsk, contradicting Moscow's claims of its capture.
The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of military casualties and significant civilian losses since the invasion began in February 2022.
