Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has held talks with United States President Donald Trump’s top envoys in Kyiv, following their meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. According to a report by BBC, Steve Witkoff, sitting opposite the Ukrainian leader, told reporters the US team felt “encouraged” by what he……
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has held talks with United States President Donald Trump’s top envoys in Kyiv, following their meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
According to a report by BBC, Steve Witkoff, sitting opposite the Ukrainian leader, told reporters the US team felt “encouraged” by what he called a “substantive” and important discussion.
Jared Kushner said Trump had instructed them to find a way to end the war and “create the right conditions for a long-term, durable peace”.
Ahead of the meeting, Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to discuss bringing “the end of the war closer”, but insisted that security guarantees and a dignified post-war peace would be necessary.
Kushner told the Ukrainian president that Trump was “very determined to see an end of this war”, while thanking the UK, Germany and France for their efforts to achieve peace.
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Witkoff added that the US negotiators would continue for “as long as it takes”, praising Zelensky for his “unsurpassed” hospitality during their visit.
The Ukrainian leader earlier welcomed Witkoff and Kushner at Kyiv’s St Sophia Cathedral, near where a Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s security services on Friday.
The two envoys had met Putin in Moscow on Saturday for talks on ending the war, which were described as “frank” and “constructive” by the Kremlin.
They travelled to Kyiv by train after flying to Poland, with Zelensky saying it was not possible for them to land their plane despite preparations.
Putin and Zelensky agreed to halt strikes on each other’s capitals for three days while the negotiators carried out their trip.
While Witkoff and Kushner were meeting Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday, Zelensky said he and his team were “ready for a substantive conversation”.
On Sunday, Zelensky wrote on social media that his country “has always been and will remain constructive”.
“We are interested in bringing the end of the war closer. Peace is needed. Security guarantees are needed.
“A dignified character of …war peace is needed. Our proposals are ready,” he said.
Overnight, Russian and Ukrainian forces continued to exchange strikes, with Ukraine confirming that it had targeted an oil refinery, an airfield and two air defence systems.
Ukraine’s defence ministry said the targets included the Ryazan oil refinery, which supplies the Russian army, and an airfield in Rostov-on-Don.
Earlier, Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia had attacked the country with 108 long-range drones and small cruise missiles.
The air defences downed 82 drones and six missiles, but 11 locations were hit, with debris falling at a further seven sites.
Saturday’s talks in Moscow lasted three hours and were held behind closed doors at Putin’s official residence in the heart of the Russian capital, according to Russian state media.
Details of the meeting are still emerging, but both sides have issued broadly positive remarks without providing specifics.
Putin adviser Yuri Ushakov described the talks as “constructive, extremely frank”.
“The talks were not limited to an exchange of views on resolving the Ukrainian crisis – economic issues and potential major, mutually beneficial Russian-American projects were discussed in considerable detail,” he said.
Ushakov also said “note was made of the Russian army’s tangible advances in the combat zone” and that there was acknowledgement that talks needed to address “the root causes of the conflict”.
Despite an escalation of Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Russian ground forces have made very slow advances for most of the conflict, incurring enormous casualties.
Russia still controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, including areas it seized in 2022.
The talks come as Russia and Ukraine have intensified aerial attacks in recent months.
Ukraine says it has struggled to repel ballistic missile attacks because of a lack of interceptor missiles, while Kyiv has focused its strikes on Russian economic infrastructure targets, notably oil installations.
