According to the Kremlin, Russia and the U.S. are making progress in discussions aimed at achieving peace in Ukraine, and Moscow is prepared to keep collaborating with the current American delegation.

Vladimir Putin held five hours of talks on Tuesday night with two American envoys. The Kremlin said that Russia accepted certain elements—though not all—of a U.S. draft peace proposal.

Putin then reiterated Russia’s demand for full control of Ukraine’s Donbas region, saying that Moscow would seize the area by force if Ukrainian troops do not withdraw.

Donald Trump, whose efforts to end the war have so far produced no breakthrough, said that this week’s meeting was “quite good,” but that the path forward remains unclear for now.

Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov, who participated in Tuesday’s talks, told the outlet Zvezda:
“We are, in my view, making progress in the key negotiations involving our president. This is encouraging, and we are ready to continue working with this American team.”

The Kremlin is now awaiting “the reaction of our American counterparts” to Tuesday’s discussion, Ushakov added, according to remarks cited by Russia’s state news agency RIA.

Ukraine is calling for an immediate ceasefire and accuses Putin of pretending to pursue peace talks while continuing the war. At the same time, Kyiv fears that Trump and Putin might strike a deal that would force Ukraine to accept unfavorable terms and leave it vulnerable to a future Russian attack, as Reuters notes.

Ukraine seeks “real peace, not appeasement” with Russia, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Thursday.

Russia says it is serious about trying to end the war but stresses that it will achieve its objectives with military means if diplomacy fails.