Momentum builds in Ukraine peace push, but experts fear Putin won’t budge

The U.S. advances a revised peace framework to end the Ukraine war, with officials saying talks are closer to breakthrough than ever, but territorial disputes remain the key obstacle.

Efrat Lachter is an investigative reporter and war correspondent. Her work has taken her to 40 countries, including Ukraine, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Sudan and Afghanistan. She is a recipient of the 2024 Knight-Wallace Fellowship for Journalism. Lachter can be followed on X @efratlachter.

But as Russia launches fresh missile and drone strikes on Kyiv — killing civilians and damaging power infrastructure — negotiators warn that the territorial question remains the hard red line.