Kushner says territory remains main obstacle to Ukraine peace deal

US envoy Jared Kushner stated on Sunday that the territorial dispute between Russia and Ukraine remains the primary obstacle to a peace deal, despite progress on other fronts. Speaking at the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv, Kushner said the division over front lines and sovereign borders has stalled diplomatic efforts, even as frameworks for security and ceasefire mechanisms have been largely completed. Kushner, who traveled to Moscow and Kyiv this month with fellow envoy Steve Witkoff, described the territorial issue as the hardest part of the negotiations. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined Moscow's specific territorial objectives during talks in the Kremlin, but Ukraine is not prepared to make concessions or withdraw its forces to the lines proposed by Russia. "If Ukraine wanted to retreat to that line, we would have already prepared and agreed on the remaining terms of the deal," Kushner said. "Currently, Ukraine does not want to do this." The envoy emphasized that the US, acting as a mediator, is seeking a "creative solution" that would protect Ukraine's interests while persuading Russia to end the conflict.