Charles Maines

Russian battlefield advances have come at a glacial pace and with heavy losses.

Charles Mains, NPR News, Moscow.

The trilateral talks marked the third such meeting in recent weeks.

Previous negotiations yielded several goodwill-generating prisoner swaps, but little clarity on how to put an end to the fighting.

Months of U.S.

efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict have bogged down over Russian maximalist demands on Ukrainian territory

including land not controlled by Russian forces, as well as Ukraine's desire for ironclad security guarantees from the U.S.

should it sign on to a peace deal.

Also unclear what U.S.

protections for Ukraine are on offer or what the Kremlin might accept.

On the eve of the talks, President Trump suggested the onus was on Kiev to make concessions, saying Ukraine better come to the table fast.

Charles Mainz, NPR News, Moscow.

U.S.

efforts have really bogged down on the issue of territorial concessions versus security agreements.

Russia is demanding Ukraine cede territory, including parts claimed but not occupied by Russian forces.

Ukraine maybe understandably argues, why should we give what Russia has been unable to take in four years?

Or if they're somehow to agree to that, and then certainly they want to see ironclad security guarantees from the West and from the U.S.

in particular.

These are assurances that Russia won't simply attack again.

But speaking in Munich over the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made it clear he's under pressure from the White House to sign on to a deal.