All Eyes on Putin as Talks Move to Russia

The diplomatic push to end the Russia-Ukraine war now shifts to Moscow, with US envoy Steve Witkoff expected to meet with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. The meeting comes after US and Ukraine negotiators hammered out a revised plan over the weekend with enough promise to get Russia involved. The big question now is whether Putin will get on board:

• A story at CNBC includes skepticism that Putin will agree to cede any territory in Ukraine or agree to other major compromises. "Russian information space voices continue to argue that the Kremlin will likely reject a ceasefire or any iteration of the US-proposed peace plan because the Kremlin views these efforts as inconsequential and as a hindrance to Russia's goals in Ukraine and globally," wrote analysts at the Institute for the Study of War over the weekend.

• The New York Times similarly suggests that Putin "has seemed disinclined to make any concessions to Ukraine to end a war in which his troops have been advancing on the battlefield and bombarding Ukrainian cities." Meanwhile, Ukraine's Volodomyr Zelensky continues to meet with European leaders to drum up support for his nation's position in the talks.
• A CNN analysis suggests that negotiators are getting creative: One idea is to essentially create a "Russian demilitarized zone" in the east, which "Moscow would administer but not deploy military forces into." Details are scant, for a reason. "I really believe that if it becomes public, we may ruin the potential solution," an unnamed source privy to the negotiations tells the outlet.
• The Wall Street Journal notes another potential snag: If the two nations agree to redraw boundaries, it's far more complicated for Ukraine, where a national referendum would be required. Zelensky's ability to get one passed may be hindered by an ongoing corruption scandal in his administration.