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peace plan, but called the talks useful.
Charles Mainz, NPR News, Moscow.
The Kremlin often says it would prefer to achieve its goals in Ukraine through diplomatic rather than military means.
That was the core message of a lengthy press conference by President Putin in Central Asia.
Putin said he still considered a U.S.
peace proposal a loose roadmap towards ending the conflict...
that warned Russia would secure its territorial goals by force if Ukraine refused to withdraw voluntarily.
Putin also weighed in on recently leaked phone transcripts that suggested White House envoy Steve Witkoff was biased in favor of Moscow in the peace negotiations.
Putin called Witkoff an intelligent man who promoted the interests of his country.
Witkoff is expected back in Moscow for talks with Putin next week.
Charles Mainz, NPR News, Moscow.
A senior Kremlin aide confirmed Witkoff would meet with Putin next week to discuss the latest U.S.
efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Witkoff seeks approval for a draft peace plan that initially offered terms favorable to Moscow, but has since been fine-tuned with input from Europe and Ukraine.
Senior Russian officials have warned those amendments could make the plan a non-starter.
Witkoff's trip also comes in the wake of a leaked transcript from a phone call with a senior Putin aide that appears to show Witkoff providing counsel on handling Trump.
While the transcript has not been independently verified by NPR, Trump is already downplaying its contents, telling reporters Witkoff was engaged in a standard form of negotiation.
Charles Baines, NPR News, Moscow.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia welcomed the initial version of a U.S.