In a busy few days of diplomacy, American officials have held important talks with both Russian and Ukrainian leaders. The goal is to try and end the long war in Ukraine, but it is a difficult task. First, a US team met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for about five hours. Soon after, the US announced it would also meet with Ukrainian officials.
The talks in Moscow on Tuesday did not lead to quick progress. A Russian official said, "No compromise version has yet been found." He explained that Russia liked some US ideas but President Putin directly criticized others. This shows the two sides are still far apart.
The US plan seems to be talking to each side separately. Next, the US diplomat will meet with Ukraine's top security official in Miami on Thursday.
Ukrainian leaders are hopeful but clear about their needs. President Zelensky said the world feels "a real opportunity to end the war." However, Ukraine insists that any talks must include pressure on Russia. Ukraine's main condition is that Russia must "end the bloodshed" first.
The war has now lasted for over 1,370 days. These new talks show the US is trying harder to stop the fighting. But many in Europe and Ukraine are worried. They fear some peace ideas might give Russia too much land, which would hurt Ukraine's independence.
Right now, the talks show that both Russia and Ukraine have strong, different positions. The world is watching to see if this diplomacy can finally create a path to peace, or if the big challenges are still too great to solve.