Developments in Ukraine peace talks (April to June 2025)

In April 2025, the US presented what it termed ‘final’ proposals for a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. Talks continue, however, over any potential settlement. On 16 May, Ukrainian and Russian officials held direct talks for the first time in three years. A second round of talks was held on 2 June and both sides presented memorandums outlining their respective peace proposals.

Neither round of talks achieved a breakthrough, although agreement was reached on the exchange of prisoners of war and Ukraine and Russia have committed to continue dialogue.

Peace – a US priority

President Trump made securing a peace agreement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict a priority for his administration. While initially suggesting that a ceasefire agreement could be reached within 24 hours, the Trump administration’s special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said in January 2025 that the aim was for the US to broker an agreement within 100 days in office (29 April 2025).

US diplomatic efforts so far have not achieved the results that President Trump initially hoped for. In March 2025, Ukraine agreed a 30-day partial ceasefire after the US suspended all US military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine (which was subsequently reinstated). President Putin said, however, that while Russia supported a ceasefire and would agree to a 30-day moratorium on striking energy infrastructure, certain conditions must be met before a full ceasefire could take effect, including addressing the root causes of the conflict.

President Putin also said Russia would only implement a ceasefire in the Black Sea if certain sanctions related to the export of food and fertilisers were lifted. The US has previously threatened to impose additional sanctions on Russia if it failed to agree peace terms, but it has not yet taken further action.

The US’ ‘final offer’

US frustration with Russia has become increasingly evident and in mid-April both the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and President Trump indicated that the US was ready to walk away from the peace process unless significant progress is made. New US proposals, which have been described as the US’s “final offer” were put on the table in April 2025. At the end of April, the US and Ukraine concluded a critical minerals deal that will allow long-term US access to Ukraine’s reserves of rare earth minerals and other critical raw materials.

Direct talks between Russia and Ukraine

Following calls by European leaders for an extension to the three-day ceasefire Russia implemented in early May 2025, President Putin countered with proposals for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul. He said that the talks should be a resumption of the Istanbul negotiations that had been broken off in 2022. President Zelenskyy said that he would be waiting for President Putin personally, although neither leader eventually attended after President Putin sent a low-level delegation instead.

Talks lasted for less than two hours and did not achieve any sort of breakthrough. An agreement was reached, however, on the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and for the continuation of dialogue.

A further round of talks was held on 2 June and both sides exchanged memorandums outlining their respective peace proposals. The content of those proposals has not been officially published, although Russian media has widely reported the key aims of the Russian memorandum which shows little effort to compromise.

Following a phone call between President Trump and President Putin on 4 June, President Trump said that it was not “a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace”.

What next?

The text of both sets of proposals are now being considered by the Ukrainian and Russian governments. Ukraine has said it expects a response from Russia by the end of June 2025 and has stressed the need for direct talks between President Putin and President Zelenskyy.

At the time of writing, it remains unclear when further talks will take place and when the US will take a decision on its continued participation in efforts to bring about a peace agreement. President Zelenskyy has urged the US not to distance itself from the talks.

In a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on 5 June 2025, President Trump said that when he considers a deal to no longer be possible, the US “will be tough”, potentially on both countries. He also suggested that it may be better to let Russia and Ukraine “fight for a while” before trying to pursue peace.

In the meantime, Russia continues to make advances in Ukraine and shows little intention of halting its offensive, having recently launched some of its largest ever strikes on Ukraine since the war began. Talk continues of a Russian summer offensive that, according to The Economist, aims to deliver Russia “a symbolic victory at almost any cost”.

This briefing provides an outline of the diplomatic talks that have been held recently, the US’s latest reported proposals and the outcome of direct talks between Ukraine and Russia.

The overall shift in direction towards Ukraine by the US administration since January 2025 and the increasing divergence between the US and its European allies is examined in Library research briefing Ukraine and Russia: A shift in US policy.