VIDEO: Putin threatens Europe with war as Ukraine peace talks falter 

Peace talks between the United States and Russia on Tuesday ended without a breakthrough, as Russian President Vladimir Putin issued fresh warnings to Europe, saying Russia is “ready” for war. The talks aimed to advance a peace plan to end the nearly four-year conflict in Ukraine.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner traveled to Moscow for discussions with Putin and senior Russian officials. The meeting focused on a U.S.-drafted peace plan, according to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, who described the talks as “useful, constructive, and highly informative,” but acknowledged that significant differences remain.

“The main thing is that we had a very useful discussion,” Ushakov said, noting that while some proposals were agreed upon, others were met with criticism from Putin. The aide added that the U.S. and Russia agreed not to disclose further details of the talks.

The peace plan discussed reportedly consisted of 27 points, building on an earlier 28-point framework initially shared with Ukraine. Kyiv and its European allies had previously revised the plan to 19 points, leading to additional consultations in Florida last weekend.

Central sticking points remain unresolved. Moscow demands that Ukraine cede partially occupied eastern territories, while disagreements persist over Western-backed security guarantees for Kyiv.

Ahead of the meeting, Putin criticized Europe’s counterproposals as “absolutely unacceptable” and claimed European leaders “have no peace agenda.” “We’re not going to war with Europe; I’ve said that a hundred times. But if Europe suddenly wants to fight us and starts, we’re ready right now,” he said.

European officials have expressed concern over being sidelined in initial U.S.-Russia talks, which they feared favored Moscow. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that “Russia does not want peace” and emphasized the need to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses.

In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered a cautiously optimistic view, telling Irish lawmakers that Ukraine is “closer to peace than ever before” and that there is a “real, real chance” of reaching an agreement.

Geopolitical analysts, however, warn that Russia is likely to prolong negotiations. Michael Froman, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, said the Kremlin has incentives to extend talks while maintaining battlefield advantages.

“Putin wants a long process of diplomatic engagement to pursue broader goals, including economic and political reintegration with the West, while continuing operations on the ground,” Froman told CNBC.

Amos Hochstein, former senior Biden administration advisor, added that any deal would require Ukraine to make difficult territorial concessions, which Russia may be unwilling to finalize. “The Russians are not in a hurry for a deal,” he said, noting that the war continues to support Russia’s war economy.

Tuesday’s discussions leave the prospects for a negotiated peace uncertain, with the risk of further escalation looming over Europe as Moscow signals its readiness for conflict.