Kremlin denies three-way talks likely, Putin ready for dialogue with Macron

The Kremlin has denied that three-way talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States were on the cards, as diplomats gathered in Miami for talks on ending the conflict.

"At present, no one has seriously discussed this initiative, and to my knowledge, it is not in preparation," Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters, according to Russian news agencies.

Putin, however, is ready to discuss the conflict with France's Emmanuel Macron, the Russian president's spokesman said in an interview.

Putin has "expressed readiness to engage in dialogue with Macron," Dmitry Peskov told state news agency RIA Novosti.

"Therefore, if there is mutual political will, then this can only be assessed positively."

Putin-Macron talks

The French presidency welcomed President Putin's readiness to engage, adding the terms under which such a conversation could take place would be determined in coming days.

"It is welcome that the Kremlin has publicly agreed to this approach. We will decide in the coming days on the best way to proceed," the Elysee said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the United States to put more pressure on Russia to end the conflict, as diplomats converged on Miami for fresh talks.

Zelenskyy also said that Washington had proposed the first face-to-face negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in half a year, but later expressed skepticism that would help.

Zelenskyy said that only the United States was capable of persuading Russia to end the conflict, and he called on Washington to increase pressure on Moscow to make that happen.

"America must clearly say: if not diplomacy, then there will be full pressure ... Putin does not yet feel the kind of pressure that should exist," he said, stressing the need for more arms supplies to Ukraine and sanctions on the entire Russian economy.

Constructive discussions

Zelenskyy's comments in Kyiv came as Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev arrived in Miami where Ukrainian and European teams have also gathered for the negotiations, mediated by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. 

"Discussions are being held constructively," Dmitriev told reporters, according to Russian state media, adding that "they started and continue today, and will also continue tomorrow."

US envoys have pushed a peace plan in which the United States would offer security guarantees to Ukraine, but Kyiv would likely be expected to surrender some territory, a prospect resented by many Ukrainians.

However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio promised not to force Ukraine into any agreement, saying "there's no peace deal unless Ukraine agrees to it." 

The last time Ukrainian and Russian envoys held official direct talks was in July in Istanbul, which led to prisoner swaps but little else.

A step forward

Russian and European involvement in Miami marks a step forward from before, when the Americans held separate negotiations with each side in different locations. 

However, it is unlikely Dmitriev would hold direct talks with European negotiators as relations between the two sides remain strained. 

Moscow argues that Europe's involvement in the talks only hinders any peace process.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's top foreign policy aide said that he was sure the chances of peace in Ukraine were not improved by changes to US proposals made by the Europeans and Ukraine, Interfax news agency reported.

"This is not a forecast," Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.

"I am sure that the proposals that the Europeans and Ukrainians have made or are trying to make definitely do not improve the document and do not improve the possibility of achieving long-term peace."

European and Ukrainian negotiators have been discussing changes to a U.S. set of proposals for an agreement to end the nearly four-year-old conflict, though it is unclear exactly what changes have been made to the original US proposals.