Recent Russian successes on the battlefield in Ukraine have influenced talks with US representatives in Moscow, Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday, a day after a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, which was also attended by Jared Kushner, „Reuters“ reported, quoted by News.bg.
According to Ushakov, it was the development of military actions in recent weeks that determined “the course and nature of the negotiations“, and according to him, the successes of the Russian forces contributed to a more favorable assessment by the US delegation of the possible prospects for a peace agreement.
The comment was made after the Kremlin released a video of Putin congratulating commanders on the alleged capture of the town of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities, however, rejected this claim and stressed that fighting in the town was ongoing.
Ushakov also expressed the expectation that Kiev, as well as its European partners, would adopt a “more moderate and balanced approach“ to the current situation.
According to maps from pro-government sources in Ukraine, Russian troops currently control over 19% of the country's territory, or about 115,600 square kilometers - about one percentage point more than two years ago. However, in 2025, the Russian offensive will mark its fastest territorial expansion since the start of the war in 2022.