US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner left Kyiv on Monday after holding “encouraging” talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but the discussions produced no breakthrough toward ending the war with Russia. The visit, the first official trip by the envoys to Ukraine, followed their talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday, which a Kremlin aide described as “highly useful” without signaling any progress.
Zelenskyy demands 'serious volumes' of US support
At a news conference on Sunday, Zelenskyy said the talks covered Ukraine’s air defense needs, including Patriot systems, and a “winter package” of support for air defense and energy infrastructure before the colder months. He said Kyiv was seeking “serious volumes” of American support, with backing from European partners as well. He added that it appeared the war would continue into winter.
Zelenskyy also accused Russia of intensifying strikes on Ukrainian cities before Russia’s State Duma election later this month, calling the attacks deliberate “terror” against civilians. He said Ukraine was working with 67 domestic companies to develop systems to shoot down Russia’s jet-powered drones at scale.
New proposals and follow-up talks planned
The US envoys brought new and “more effective” proposals to Ukraine on ending the war, according to a senior Ukrainian presidential official who spoke to Agence France-Presse on condition of anonymity. “It’s not the same as it was before. This one now is more effective,” the official said. “They’re still talking. This is actually the most important part. There are three of them now.”
Zelenskyy said the sides agreed to hold a follow-up meeting involving Ukraine, the US, and Europe, with a location yet to be set. Ukraine’s rail operator announced the envoys’ departure from Kyiv early on Monday.
Witkoff said earlier that both sides would need to compromise, adding: “We think we have the ingredients to get to that place … and we look forward to continuing this as long as it takes.” Kushner said: “Hopefully this trip has come out with some new ways to advance forward. I think we’ve learned a lot from the trip.”
Moscow talks and regional incidents
In Moscow, the US envoys had “discussed substantive plans which will be announced in the coming weeks”, a White House official said. The Kremlin said the Americans had “put forward a number of ideas on possible routes to a settlement”, without elaborating. Witkoff expressed hope that a new round of US-mediated Ukraine-Russia talks would be announced “in short order”.
Putin has repeatedly said Moscow intends to seize the rest of eastern Ukraine, while Zelenskyy insists Russia should not be rewarded for its aggression. Meanwhile, a girl was killed and three other people were wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russia-held Black Sea port city of Sevastopol late on Sunday, according to the city’s Moscow-appointed governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev, on Telegram. Russian forces struck a Ukrainian cargo vessel in the Black Sea carrying military equipment supplied by western countries, Russian news agencies reported the defence ministry as saying on Sunday. Kyiv’s forces also struck the Ryazan oil refinery, about 480km (300 miles) inside Russia, causing a fire, Ukraine said on Sunday.
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said Germany’s accusation that Moscow was involved in a drone incident near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig airport were “by and large, the start of a real war”, state news agency Tass reported. “He is, in effect, declaring war on us,” Lavrov said of German chancellor Friedrich Merz. Berlin has ordered a series of measures in response to the attack attempt.
