By Harshit
WASHINGTON — DECEMBER 3 , 8 AM EDT
The United States has remained conspicuously quiet following Tuesday’s high-stakes meeting in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin, US envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner, even as NATO foreign ministers convened in Brussels to assess the next steps toward a possible settlement of the Ukraine war.
While Russia and several NATO governments issued statements describing the encounter as constructive but inconclusive, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio — the Biden administration’s top diplomat — has yet to provide the American position. His absence from the Brussels summit, replaced by Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau, only deepened questions about Washington’s next moves in its accelerating diplomatic campaign.
In an interview aired on Fox News late Tuesday, Rubio characterized the talks as making “some progress,” but cautioned, “We’re not there yet.” He also pushed back against critics of the administration’s engagement with Moscow, calling the idea that the US should avoid direct talks “irrational.”
“You can’t end a war between Russia and Ukraine without talking to Russia,” Rubio said. “It’s not realistic for the US to just continue to fund Ukraine unlimited amounts for as long as the war takes. At the end of the day, it’s not up to us. It’s not our war. We’re not fighting it.”
NATO Meets Without Rubio as Ministers React to Moscow Talks
At NATO headquarters in Brussels, foreign ministers gathered to evaluate the momentum of the US-led negotiations and the renewed diplomatic activity between Kyiv, Washington, and Moscow.
Landau represented the United States, a notable downgrade in seniority. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reiterated the alliance’s support for Ukraine, but several ministers signaled growing unease over Washington’s widening role in shaping peace terms.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he welcomed “all talks,” but saw “no serious willingness on the Russian side to enter into negotiations.”
Latvia’s Baiba Braze warned that Russia was trying to “split NATO” through what she called “so-called peace talks,” while Estonia’s Margus Tsahkna stressed that Europe must not allow decisions to be made “over our heads.”
The UK, Finland, and Norway each underscored the need for unity, with British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper urging Putin to “end the bluster and bloodshed.”
Their comments highlight a growing fault line: while Europe supports diplomacy, many European governments remain wary of US-Russia back-channel negotiations that appear to sidestep their input.
Zelensky Sends Delegation to US After Mixed Signals From Moscow
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Tuesday that his negotiators — National Security Secretary Rustem Umerov and Armed Forces Chief Andrii Hnatov — will travel to the United States for further talks.
Speaking during a visit to Dublin and later in Brussels, Zelensky said Ukraine would engage “constructively” but stressed that any agreement must protect Ukraine’s sovereignty and produce “a real, durable peace.”
Zelensky acknowledged “tough issues” remain unresolved following weekend talks in Florida between Ukrainian officials, Witkoff, and Kushner. Kyiv continues to insist it will not cede additional territory to Russia, particularly areas Russia has failed to capture militarily.
Opposition figures inside Ukraine echoed that stance. MP Oleksiy Goncharenko warned that Ukraine was “not in the best position” for negotiations and must resist pressure to make territorial concessions.
“They want to take in negotiations what they have failed to take during 12 years of war,” he said. “This is not acceptable.”
Kremlin: No Rejection, But No Breakthrough
After the five-hour Moscow meeting, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov insisted it would be “incorrect” to say Putin rejected US proposals.
“This was the first time a direct exchange of opinions took place,” Peskov said. “Something was accepted, something was marked as unacceptable. This is a normal working process and a search for compromise.”
He refused to discuss specifics, saying negotiations are more productive “the quieter they are.”
The meeting was the sixth between Putin and Witkoff this year, and one of the longest — underscoring the intense US effort to broker at least a framework for ceasefire terms.
Strikes Continue Despite Diplomacy
Even as talks advanced, both Ukraine and Russia reported new overnight attacks.
In Ukraine, officials said drone strikes killed two people in Ternovka, damaged civilian infrastructure in four regions, and caused a fire at an energy facility in Odesa. In Russia, authorities reported intercepting over 100 Ukrainian drones, while an oil depot in Tambov caught fire following an attack.
The violence underscored the fragile backdrop to this week’s diplomacy.
EU Moves Toward Energy Independence
In a separate development, the European Union reached a provisional deal to eliminate remaining imports of Russian gas by 2027. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called it “the dawn of a new era,” noting Russia’s share of EU gas imports has fallen from 45% to 13% since the war’s escalation in 2022.
Western energy purchases have supplied Russia with more than €100bn during that period — revenue widely seen as vital to fueling its military campaign.