UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called on Russia to join negotiations on a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. In comments cited by The Independent, she said that although significant work still lies ahead, the key step now is for Moscow to come to the negotiating table. She added that intensive diplomatic efforts are already underway.

The U.S. administration earlier stated that it is developing its own plan for a settlement but would not discuss details yet, as work on the document continues. The Kremlin, for its part, said that Russia remains open to dialogue and continues to adhere to the framework discussed in Anchorage.

Speaking at a meeting of Russia’s Security Council on November 21, President Vladimir Putin said the U.S. plan could potentially serve as a basis for a final peace agreement, but that the text is not being discussed with Moscow in any substantive way at the moment. He suggested this may be due to Washington’s inability to secure Kyiv’s approval. According to Putin, Ukraine and its European partners remain under the illusion that they can inflict a «strategic defeat» on Russia on the battlefield, largely because they lack objective information about the real situation on the ground.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously stated that the Ukrainian authorities must make a decision and begin negotiations. He said Kyiv’s room for political maneuver is shrinking as Russian forces advance, describing this as a form of pressure intended to push the Ukrainian leadership toward a peaceful solution. Peskov emphasized that continued fighting is becoming both futile and dangerous for Kyiv.