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NATO has reported that there are no signs of Moscow making "meaningful concessions" to end the ongoing war in Ukraine. This statement arrives as top US negotiators, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, engage in critical discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an effort to secure a peace deal. The senior NATO official acknowledged the negotiators' attempts to break the deadlock but noted that Russia's stance remains unchanged.

 

The current negotiations come in a fraught diplomatic context, with Russia still holding firm on its territorial demands. Despite the efforts around the negotiating table, NATO remains sceptical about any immediate changes in Russia's position. The official also warned that after any potential deal, Moscow might seek to "re-establish its proxies" and meddle in Ukraine's political affairs.

 

Russia’s ongoing pursuit to weaken Ukraine’s military strength is a significant point of concern. It implies that even with a deal, the Kremlin may pursue further aggression, thus destabilising the region. These developments underscore the challenging diplomatic landscape faced by negotiators as they try to navigate complex geopolitical tensions, reported CNN.

 

Looking forward, it remains to be seen how the discussions with Putin will unfold and whether the US negotiators can persuade Moscow to adopt a more conciliatory approach. International observers continue to closely monitor the situation, hoping for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

 

Key Takeaways:

 

• NATO observes no signs of Russia making key concessions in Ukraine.
• Russia maintains its demand for territory and influences Ukrainian politics.
• The US negotiators are in high-stakes talks with President Putin.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from CNN 2025-12-03

 

 

 

This circular repetitive futile negotiation is just insanity and embarrassing to the most powerful country in the world. It just reflect on how Putin see USA, Trump and his light weight negotiators. They were make to wait an hour for Putin to make an appearance. Why is Jared and not Rubio in the meeting. Jared has no official appointment. Is he there to work some transactional business deals? Putin see Trump unworthy to negotiate and continue to make him like a fool. This is the 7th failed attempt in just short period by Trump and has not moved an inch closer to any semblance of a ceasefire plan. Forget peace plan touted by Trump. Wouldn't happen unless Trump man-up with total sanctions and more powerful weapons to Ukraine. 

Putin runs rings round Trump and he can't see it. Putin is making concessions so he can carry on killing Civillians and flattening Citys in the Ukraine whats Donald done ? has he come down hard on Putin to force him to the table NO. Putin thinks he can defeat Europe including Nato if Europe wants to start a war he ranted. Mad Vlad been going 3 years to defeat Ukraine and he is still battleing them dammed Ukrainians. He would be crazy  to take on European forces and Nato.

Did anybody, other than Trump and MAGA supporters really think Putin and Russia would meekly give up and go home just because of yet another failed Trump "Peace Plan"?

 

The could have achieved the same result by staying in the USA, and saving the US taxpayers money.

 

Any sensible thinking person could have told them that,

5 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Wouldn't happen unless Trump man-up with total sanctions and more powerful weapons to Ukraine. 

What more sanctions and what more powerful weapons ???

they have given everything they have except nukes ..you want nuclear war ? Russia has the most nukes remember.

2 hours ago, billd766 said:

Putin and Russia would meekly give up and go home just because of yet another failed Trump "Peace Plan"?

 

Russia will carry on till their objectives are met  Trump is kinda  

irrelevant  anyway now as Ukraine and Europe have set the scene for continued war..maybe Trump wants to officially join the war against Russia but somehow I doubt it.

9 minutes ago, johng said:

What more sanctions and what more powerful weapons ???

they have given everything they have except nukes ..you want nuclear war ? Russia has the most nukes remember.

Maybe you should read up on the bipartisan bill on The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2525 which has a wide sanctions that will hit Russian banks and other entities supporting Moscow's war on Ukraine and also primary and secondary sanctions. Trump chickened out on these sweeping sanctions at the last minute and claimed that he don't want to screw it up by doing that.

 

Tomahawks and air defense systems would be nice. 

Everybody knows Witkoff and Kushner are real estate dealers, not seasoned diplomats, and their role is to secure a deal for American businesses with the Russians. 

They don't give a monkey's for Ukraine or Europe. 'National sovereignty, what's that? just give us a deal.'

So Trump might walk away, claiming he did his best for 'peace', I mean surrender, of Ukraine. 

However could there be a backlash against such a stance? 

Many in Congress support Ukraine, as do many of the US public, and a cut and run approach deserting Ukraine, could be seen as cowardly, morally indefensible and embarrassing for the man who claimed he could stop the war in 24 hours of assuming office.

46 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Maybe you should read up on the bipartisan bill on The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2525 which has a wide sanctions

Maybe you should look at all the other sanctions  that have been useless  and look at the emergence of BRICS  and the continued friendly relations between Russia,China and India  let alone all the other (smaller) countries that are ready and willing to trade with Russia

 

50 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Tomahawks and air defense systems would be nice. 

 

Nice for the war mongers coffers for sure..not nice for anyone else !

make peace not war.

14 minutes ago, bannork said:

a cut and run approach deserting Ukraine, could be seen as cowardly, morally indefensible and embarrassing for the man who claimed he could stop the war in 24 hours of assuming office.

 

He could have stopped it in 24 hours  just by declaring no more support for Ukraine   no more  money  no more military intelligence

(including personnel on the ground)  no more weapons  0  zero  

support from when he was sworn in....not my war  thanks  goodbye

easy peasey... but for some reason he did not do that  obviously it was the Russian kompromat  that forced him to continue  support of Ukraine to the last Ukrainian ?

1 minute ago, johng said:

 

He could have stopped it in 24 hours  just by declaring no more support for Ukraine   no more  money  no more military intelligence

(including personnel on the ground)  no more weapons  0  zero  

support from when he was sworn in....not my war  thanks  goodbye

easy peasey... but for some reason he did not do that  obviously it was the Russian kompromat  that forced him to continue  support of Ukraine to the last Ukrainian ?

Thought he did all that and as usual did an about-turn.

The 24 hour thing was just a LIE to hook folk like you..................🥴

14 minutes ago, johng said:

Maybe you should look at all the other sanctions  that have been useless  and look at the emergence of BRICS  and the continued friendly relations between Russia,China and India  let alone all the other (smaller) countries that are ready and willing to trade with Russia

 

 

Nice for the war mongers coffers for sure..not nice for anyone else !

make peace not war.

If Trump has the moral guts, he should impose secondary sanctions on BRICS and those countries that still buy oil and gas from Russia. Hit them with high tariffs. All these proposals were in the Sanctioning Russia Act but he TACO. 

 

You again forget that it was Russia who invaded Ukraine. They are the war mongers. Ukraine is just defending their sovereignty. Ukraine seek peace while Russia seek war. Please get this right for the umpteenth times that we need to remind you.  

30 minutes ago, johng said:

 

He could have stopped it in 24 hours  just by declaring no more support for Ukraine   no more  money  no more military intelligence

(including personnel on the ground)  no more weapons  0  zero  

support from when he was sworn in....not my war  thanks  goodbye

easy peasey... but for some reason he did not do that  obviously it was the Russian kompromat  that forced him to continue  support of Ukraine to the last Ukrainian ?

What makes you think Ukraine would surrender even if the US stopped all aid? 

41 minutes ago, johng said:

Maybe you should look at all the other sanctions  that have been useless  and look at the emergence of BRICS  and the continued friendly relations between Russia,China and India  let alone all the other (smaller) countries that are ready and willing to trade with Russia

 

 

Nice for the war mongers coffers for sure..not nice for anyone else !

make peace not war.

You mean make surrender to a blood thirsty tyrant.  

10 minutes ago, bannork said:

What makes you think Ukraine would surrender even if the US stopped all aid? 

They would have no choice

 

9 minutes ago, bannork said:

You mean make surrender to a blood thirsty tyrant.  

They fought bravely  but the outcome was inevitable from the start.

 

31 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

You again forget that it was Russia who invaded Ukraine. They are the war mongers. Ukraine is just defending their sovereignty. Ukraine seek peace while Russia seek war. Please get this right for the umpteenth times that we need to remind you.  

You can "remind" me till the cows come home doesn't change the facts  maidan coup/color revolution   persecution bombings of Russian speakers in the Donbas region, relentless creep of NATO towards Russia's western borders..paper tiger gas station country  strikes back   NATO EU US  in a tizzy.  😋

 

40 minutes ago, johng said:

They would have no choice

 

They fought bravely  but the outcome was inevitable from the start.

 

You can "remind" me till the cows come home doesn't change the facts  maidan coup/color revolution   persecution bombings of Russian speakers in the Donbas region, relentless creep of NATO towards Russia's western borders..paper tiger gas station country  strikes back   NATO EU US  in a tizzy.  😋

 

Every country that joined NATO volunteered to join, none of them wanted to be under Russian influence or occupation.

That's a fact. There was no creeping.

Putin is afraid Russian people will want to join the EU too if Ukraine is free.

16 minutes ago, bannork said:

That's a fact. There was no creeping.

 

There was lots of creeping  go read some history.

 

17 minutes ago, bannork said:

Putin is afraid Russian people will want to join the EU too if Ukraine is free.

What on earth has Ukraine to do with Russian people wanting to join the EU..I doubt very much  Russians want to join the EU in any way or form  certainly not the Ukrainian form...full of corruption

(EU full of corruption too so don't join  it will fail soon anyway)

 

just to remind you Ukraine is not a democracy ..elections have come and gone  the incumbent clinging to power  and the very recent corruption scandal  might even force Zelensky into exile too..right hand man already vanished   raids on his offices..  paragon of virtue. 

56 minutes ago, johng said:

 

There was lots of creeping  go read some history.

 

What on earth has Ukraine to do with Russian people wanting to join the EU..I doubt very much  Russians want to join the EU in any way or form  certainly not the Ukrainian form...full of corruption

(EU full of corruption too so don't join  it will fail soon anyway)

 

just to remind you Ukraine is not a democracy ..elections have come and gone  the incumbent clinging to power  and the very recent corruption scandal  might even force Zelensky into exile too..right hand man already vanished   raids on his offices..  paragon of virtue. 

Ukraine is a democracy and would have had elections if it wasn't for Russia's invasion. 

 Martial law—imposed after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 and still in place as the war continues—has prevented elections from taking place. Under Ukrainian law, elections cannot be held while martial law is in effect to ensure continuity of governance and support the nation’s defence. 

 

Regarding corruption- at least Ukraine has a mechanism to investigate and prosecute wrongdoers, unlike Russia, the king of corruption.

The EU will not fail, Russia's imperialism has if anything strengthened it. 

 

 

 Extracts from: do Russian people envy Europe's standard of living? - Google Search

 

Yes, many Russians do envy Europe's standard of living, particularly older Russians with low pensions and those in provinces experiencing economic hardship. While official narratives often portray the West as decadent or in decline, a common reality for many is that Russia's average income, healthcare, and overall quality of life still lag behind most of Europe. This desire stems from the tangible benefits of higher wages, better healthcare, and more opportunities that are widely seen in Europe. 

 

Economic and social disparities: Many Russians recognize the lower standard of living in Russia compared to Europe, especially concerning low pensions and limited access to social safety nets like food assistance programs, which are common in the West. Issues like poor infrastructure, corruption, and unstable economic conditions are prevalent in many parts of Russia.

 

Opportunities and mobility: Some Russians, particularly those in business, have sought out opportunities in the West for better education, more comfortable lives, and the protection of Western law for their businesses. However, many others see limited opportunities at home, leading to a yearning for the financial stability and social mobility that Europe offers. 

 

15 hours ago, webfact said:

NATO has reported that there are no signs of Moscow making "meaningful concessions" to end the ongoing war in Ukraine.

 

How many concessions did the allies offer to Japan on the deck of the Missouri?

 

The winners decide the terms.

3 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

If Trump has the moral guts, he should impose secondary sanctions on BRICS and those countries that still buy oil and gas from Russia. Hit them with high tariffs. All these proposals were in the Sanctioning Russia Act but he TACO. 

 

You again forget that it was Russia who invaded Ukraine. They are the war mongers. Ukraine is just defending their sovereignty. Ukraine seek peace while Russia seek war. Please get this right for the umpteenth times that we need to remind you.  

 

Excellent post but I suggest you give it up. It's a hopeless task. There are none so blind as those who will not see.

Why make any "consessions" if you are winning a war?

2 hours ago, johng said:

 

There was lots of creeping  go read some history.

 

What on earth has Ukraine to do with Russian people wanting to join the EU..I doubt very much  Russians want to join the EU in any way or form  certainly not the Ukrainian form...full of corruption

(EU full of corruption too so don't join  it will fail soon anyway)

 

just to remind you Ukraine is not a democracy ..elections have come and gone  the incumbent clinging to power  and the very recent corruption scandal  might even force Zelensky into exile too..right hand man already vanished   raids on his offices..  paragon of virtue. 

Too bad Putin doesn't stop assaulting Ukraine in order to allow new elections in Ukraine. How stupid! He would get rid of Zelenski without firing any shot! 🤣

US/Nato: Our backsides are being hammered black and blue. Therefore, we demand you retreat, give up territory and agree to a ceasefire. And here's a list of more conditions you have to accept if you don't want us to surrender.

 

Russia: Zis very convusing. 

he has no reason to unless hes bankrupt 

Why would Putin negotiate with NATO? It was the threat of Ukraine joining NATO that led to the invasion.

Schizophrenic foreign policy only helps Putin. Trump is a horrifically poor negotiator partly because of this. 

 

It is a war Putin started, hoping he could in a matter of days put Russia back on the map as the pre-eminent military force in Europe, capable of decisive action after the embarrassing departure by the United States from its longest war in Afghanistan. His hope for a swift win morphed into an ugly war of attrition. For a while, strategic defeat loomed, with US and NATO aid to plucky, tiny Ukraine allowing Kyiv to achieve victories unthinkable a year earlier.

 

But then came the gift of the Trump second term and its wobbly sympathy (or admiration) for Putin, and desire for peace, almost at any cost. Putin faces no election; the only likely limit on his term is that of his natural lifespan.

 

When he hears Trump say Ukraine is not his war, that he doesn’t want to waste money on it, and just wants it to end, he hears frailty and disinterest from the world’s biggest military power. This is the chance the former KGB spy had likely never imagined history would afford him: the US begging Russia to make peace. And the longer the process continues, the better the outcome likely afforded Moscow.

 

Ukraine has endured nearly four years of Russian invasion, but also now nearly 11 months at the mercy of of Truth Social. The impact of this unpredictability is often lost, as Trump vacillates from imposing some of the toughest sanctions on Russia yet and mulling sending Tomahawks, to the next moment reciting Russian talking points and putting the greatest pressure on his European allies and Zelensky himself.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/03/europe/putin-trump-ukraine-war-analysis-intl?cid=android_app

 

 

2 hours ago, Purdey said:

Why would Putin negotiate with NATO? It was the threat of Ukraine joining NATO that led to the invasion.

 

Complete and utter tosh.

 

How many times does this point have to be made?

 

Ukraine formally withdrew its pursuit of NATO membership in June 2010, when its parliament passed a law declaring the country non-aligned and neutral: Ukraine did not formally re-apply for NATO membership until September 2022 after Russia invaded its territory.

Did they expect him to respond “sure, would you like fries with that?”  They took a gamble and lost. They’re worried about the backlash they’ll get from their respective constituents. 

14 minutes ago, RayC said:

Ukraine formally withdrew its pursuit of NATO membership in June 2010, when its parliament passed a law declaring the country non-aligned and neutral: Ukraine did not formally re-apply for NATO membership until September 2022 after Russia invaded its territory.

Hmm, nonsense.

 

Ukraine declared itself permanently neutral in its 1990 Declaration of Sovereignty (post-USSR), including the principle of not joining military alliances. This was enshrined in its 1996 Constitution.

 

Then, in Dec. 2014 (post-coup) Ukraine's parliament voted to join Nato. This goal was further included in their Constitution in 2018.

On 12/3/2025 at 12:22 PM, BarraMarra said:

Putin runs rings round Trump and he can't see it. Putin is making concessions so he can carry on killing Civillians and flattening Citys in the Ukraine whats Donald done ? has he come down hard on Putin to force him to the table NO. Putin thinks he can defeat Europe including Nato if Europe wants to start a war he ranted. Mad Vlad been going 3 years to defeat Ukraine and he is still battleing them dammed Ukrainians. He would be crazy  to take on European forces and Nato.

Donald wants a hotel in Moscow.