Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a meeting in Moscow on Tuesday with US Special Envoy Steve Vitkof, after the White House expressed "great optimism" about reaching an agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who plays the role of foreign advisor in diplomatic negotiations, is also expected to join the meeting.
The meeting comes after two days of talks in Florida between Ukrainian and American representatives, including Vitkof and Kushner. The talks were aimed at refining the peace plan supported by Washington, which, according to Western observers, appears favorable to Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the talks as "constructive", but stressed that there are still "some complex issues that need to be clarified".
During his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday, Zelenskyy said that Kyiv's key priorities in the peace process are preserving Ukrainian sovereignty and ensuring reliable security guarantees.
Zelenskyy pointed out that "the territorial issue remains the most difficult" element of a possible agreement, as the Kremlin continues to insist that Ukraine cede eastern territories that are still under its control – something Kyiv has long refused to do.
Vitkof has also met with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, with Zelenskyy and with Ukraine's new chief negotiator Rustem Umerov, while several key European leaders have participated virtually in talks between Zelenskyy and Macron.
On Monday, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that the draft peace agreement "has undergone significant changes", adding: "I believe the administration is in a very optimistic mood".
She clarified: "As for the details, we will leave them to the negotiators. But we are in good spirits and we hope this war will finally end."
Last week, Putin confirmed that he was familiar with the draft peace plan proposed by the US and described it as a "possible basis" for a future agreement to end the conflict.
Later, however, Kremlin officials expressed doubts about the acceptance of the proposal after Kyiv and its European allies announced that they had requested significant changes to the text.