{"id":173982,"date":"2025-12-02T13:31:20","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T13:31:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/ukraine-war-latest-kyiv-denies-fall-of-pokrovsk-ahead-of-putin-us-peace-talks-the-independent\/"},"modified":"2025-12-02T13:31:20","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T13:31:20","slug":"ukraine-war-latest-kyiv-denies-fall-of-pokrovsk-ahead-of-putin-us-peace-talks-the-independent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/ukraine-war-latest-kyiv-denies-fall-of-pokrovsk-ahead-of-putin-us-peace-talks-the-independent\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine war latest: Kyiv denies fall of Pokrovsk ahead of Putin-US peace talks – The Independent"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Trump\u2019s special envoy will speak to Russian president in renewed diplomatic effort to end war but both sides remain far from an agreement
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Ukraine<\/a> has denied that Russian forces have captured the strategic eastern city of Pokrovsk.
\u201cThe brazen statements of the leadership of the aggressor country about the ‘capture’ of these settlements by the Russian army do not correspond to reality,\u201d Kyiv’s general staff said in a statementon Tuesday.
It comes as Donald Trump<\/a>\u2019s special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow<\/a> to meet Vladimir Putin<\/a> for talks amid a renewed US push to end the war<\/a> in Ukraine<\/a>.
The White House said it was \u201cvery optimistic\u201d about striking an agreement to end Russia<\/a>\u2019s invasion following two days of negotiations between Ukrainian and US<\/a> officials in Florida over the weekend.
Mr Witkoff, who has visited Moscow several times this year, will meet with the Russian President on Tuesday afternoon, Kremlin<\/a> spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. He will be joined by Trump\u2019s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The pair iwll also meet with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
The visit follows a flurry of diplomatic activity in the past fortnight involving US, Ukrainian and Russian officials. An original US-drafted plan to end the war caused consternation in Europe last month after it appeared to yield to Russia<\/a>\u2019s maximalist demands, including the recognition of occupied territory in eastern Ukraine.
Nato chief Mark Rutte says that there is no consensus yet on membership for Ukraine.
\u201cThe practical situation is, as you know, that there is consensus required by all allies for Ukraine to join Nato. And right now, as you know, there is no consensus on Ukraine joining Nato,\u201d he told reporters on Tuesday.
Donald Trump could recognise Russia\u2019s illegal annexation of Crimea<\/a> and other occupied territories in an appeasement of the Kremlin\u2019s key demands for a peace deal, according to a report.
The US president is said to have sent special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to Moscow with the expressed intention of offering Vladimir Putin US recognition of the occupied territories <\/a>in return for a peace deal.
A source told The Telegraph<\/em><\/a>: \u201cIt\u2019s increasingly clear the Americans don\u2019t care about the European position. They say the Europeans can do whatever they want.\u201d
Ukraine\u2019s general staff has denied that Russian forces have captured the strategic eastern city of Pokrovsk.
\u201cThe brazen statements of the leadership of the aggressor country about the ‘capture’ of these settlements by the Russian army do not correspond to reality,\u201d he said in a statement on Tuesday.
The city is dubbed the \u201cgateway to Donetsk\u201d and is a key location for both sides in military campaigns.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Dublin, Ireland on Tuesday.
It marks the leaders first state visit to the country. He was joined by his wife Olena Zelenska.
If anyone has had more negative press than Donald Trump in the latest flurry of US efforts to end the war in Ukraine<\/a>, it is Steve Witkoff, the man he appointed as his special envoy at the very start of his second term. One Western critic even dubbed him \u201cDim Philby\u201d. But the knives have been out for Witkoff in Washington pretty much from the start, and the charge sheet against him is long.
The scrutiny has intensified with news that Witkoff is expected to travel to Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin, a sign of how urgently the White House wants movement on Ukraine.
Kremlin official Kirill Dmitriev is to meet with US special envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss a possible peace between Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
The Harvard-educated CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund<\/a> (RDIF), assumed the office of the special presidential envoy on Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation on 23 February this year despite having little diplomatic experience.
A motorcade, reportedly transporting officials including U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, departs Vnukovo International Airport before a scheduled meeting with a Russian delegation in Moscow, Russia on Tuesday, in this still image taken from video.
A Brit has been accused of spying for Russia after being detained in Ukraine, according to Ukraine\u2019s security service.
The man, a former member of the British armed forces, was discovered after an investigation carried out in coordination with British intelligence, a source said.
It is alleged he was lured into the work after being promised \u201ceasy money\u201d.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has touched down in Dublin for his first state visit to Ireland.
He said Ukraine is actively working to include European partners in a peace solution and is taking diplomatic work \u201cabsolutely seriously\u201d.
Zelensky accused Russia of launching a new disinformation campaign ahead of their meeting.
The US and Ukraine are seeking to narrow gaps in a peace plan<\/a> proposed by Washington that was criticised as pro-Russian. European leaders responded with a counter-proposal<\/a> that reasserted Ukraine\u2019s demands.
It includes respect for Ukraine<\/a>\u2019s territorial integrity, freedom to advance its Nato ambitions and EU membership aspirations and maintain a large military to deter the threat of future Russian aggression.
Several countries and high-profile individuals are involved in the discussions, which have resulted in public disagreements. The Independent<\/em> looks at some of the key characters below.
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
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