Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cautioned the conflict with Russia may endure into the winter after senior U.S. diplomats in Kyiv met with him to rekindle interest in resolving the conflict.
However, both Zelensky and US envoy Steve Witkoff spoke positively of the talks, but did not reveal a step forward for a possible peace deal. Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, travelled to Kyiv a day after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
This was the first time they have visited the Ukrainian capital city that has experienced multiple deadly incursions by the Russians since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Ukraine envisaged agreements with the U.S. partners and would look to support from its European allies if the battle were to drag on into next spring and summer, Zelensky said. He further stated Ukraine would have further consultations with the United States, France and Germany without specifying any details.
Ukrainian president reiterated his stance the settlement of territorial issues will ultimately need to be done at the heads of Ukraine and Russia. Today, Moscow holds influence over big chunks of northern and southern Ukraine, and it has insisted that the regions it considers Russian states should be recognized by Kyiv, which has refused to do so.
Witkoff admitted both sides would have to settle for some compromise. “It’s a meaningful conversation, it’s a substantive conversation, and the US was sold on the fact that the things they needed to get right are there,” he said.
The conference had yielded fresh ideas to pursue talks and the US delegation had come away from meetings in the zone “well aware,” Kushner added, “of the value of the visits and their ideas.
The tripfollows months of stepped-up shooting over which the Trump administration is trying to rebuild its efforts of the past year to reopen a peace process.The trip occurs as the Trump administration is trying to reopen a peace process after many months of escalating conflict.