Ukraine diplomacy advances to Moscow—but the central bargain is unresolved
Vladimir Putin hosted US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg today to discuss new proposals for ending Russia’s war in Ukraine. Russia also released detained American schoolteacher Stephen Hubbard, a concrete diplomatic gesture—but not a concession on the war’s terms.
The meeting follows yesterday’s Oslo consultations with Ukraine and European representatives. A US official said those discussions addressed Ukrainian security guarantees, post-war economics and Europe’s wider security arrangements. Russia, however, has shown little sign of abandoning demands for full control of Donetsk and exclusion of Ukraine from NATO.
The important distinction is between reopening a negotiating channel and narrowing the underlying disagreement. A ceasefire needs terms both sides can accept; a durable settlement also needs credible protection against another attack. Today establishes further engagement, not agreement on either problem.
There is a technological dimension to that bargaining power: Kyiv has reported disruptions to US intelligence and military satellite services, while US officials and Elon Musk have offered conflicting explanations. Reuters could not independently verify a report that Musk ordered a slowdown. The dispute illustrates why access to privately operated infrastructure has become a strategic dependency—not merely a procurement choice.