U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss the Trump administration’s contentious proposal to end the war in Ukraine.

The meeting follows Washington’s upbeat assessment of the plan after talks with Ukrainian negotiators in Florida.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday that the administration felt “very optimistic” about the path ahead.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, worked to shore up support from European partners who fear the U.S. blueprint—drafted without Kyiv or Europe—resembles a concession-heavy wishlist for Moscow.

Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov said “significant progress” was made in the Florida discussions, though key issues remain “challenging.”

Zelensky arrived in Ireland late Monday to receive an in-person briefing from Umerov after meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin greeted him on the tarmac, saying support for Ukraine’s defense of “freedom and democracy” remained steadfast.

Growing battlefield pressure

More than three and a half years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, an AFP review of data from the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War indicated that Russian forces made their biggest monthly advance in Ukraine since November 2024.

Zelensky’s government is also grappling with a corruption scandal that forced the dismissal last week of Andriy Yermak, his chief of staff and top negotiator.

Speaking in Paris, Zelensky said he expected a difficult conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on core issues of the emerging peace framework.

He warned that Russia had intensified missile and drone attacks to “break” Ukrainians’ resolve.

“This is serious pressure, not only psychological but also physical pressure on our population,” he said.

Macron called the moment “decisive for the future of peace in Ukraine and security in Europe.”

Zelensky insisted Moscow must not receive any concession “it could consider as a reward for this war.”

Europe uneasy as Washington presses ahead

The Élysée Palace said Zelensky and Macron spoke by phone with Witkoff and Umerov during the Florida negotiations. Zelensky also held calls with other European leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Macron later spoke with Trump about the “next steps” in mediation, emphasizing the need for firm security guarantees for Ukraine.

Washington’s initial 28-point plan would have required Ukraine to withdraw from areas it still controls in eastern Donetsk and would amount to U.S. recognition of Russian control over Donetsk, Crimea, and Lugansk.

After discussions in Geneva, the U.S. revised the proposal, though the updated terms remain undisclosed.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas voiced alarm over the planned Putin–Witkoff meeting, warning that pressure risked falling on “the weaker side” if the goal became a quick end through Ukrainian surrender.

Macron stressed that no territorial provisions had been finalized and that only Zelensky could approve such terms.

He also hailed new U.S. sanctions on Russia’s energy sector as a “game changer” and predicted pressure on the industry would soon reach its highest level since the invasion began.

Biggest Russian gain in a year

On the ground, fighting has continued unabated. Russia claimed Monday it had captured Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub Ukraine had defended for months.

A Russian missile strike in the central city of Dnipro killed four people and wounded nearly two dozen others, according to the regional governor.

By late November, Russia fully or partially controlled 19.3 percent of Ukraine’s territory, according to ISW data reviewed by AFP.