The Kremlin says the meeting with Trump's envoys was "constructive" but "no compromise" has been reached over territorial concessions for Ukraine.

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium on Wednesday rejected a plan to use frozen Russian assets to help prop up Ukraine’s economy and war effort over the next two years, saying that the scheme poses major financial and legal risks.

Witkoff, the man whom Washington has sent to negotiate with Putin this week, is viewed with suspicion by Kyiv and its allies after a leaked phone call suggested he was advising Moscow on how to deal with Trump, according to a transcript published by Bloomberg News.

Vladimir Putin's adviser offered a blunt five-word response when asked if peace was closer after Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with the Russian leader in the Kremlin for five hours to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

European leaders are hoping to bolster the controversial plan, which Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy said was forcing his country to choose between "dignity" and a "key partner."

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was expected to miss Wednesday's meeting, which will unfold during high-stakes negotiations in Moscow and in Europe about Ukraine's future.

Helping Ukraine defeat Russia is a cheaper prospect for Europe than giving into the Kremlin’s concessions, according to a new study titled “Europe’s Choice” out of Norway.