US envoys hold talks with Zelensky in Kyiv after meeting Putin
2 hours ago
Share
Save
US envoys Witkoff and Kushner 'encouraged' by Ukraine talks
Watch: US envoys Witkoff and Kushner say they are "encouraged" by Ukraine talks
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has held a first round of talks in Kyiv with Donald Trump's top envoys, in their first visit since Russia's full-scale invasion.
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 the US president 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 talk about bringing "the end of the war closer". But he said security guarantees would be required as well as a dignified post-war peace.
The 'thorny' issues that threaten to derail a Russia-Ukraine peace deal
Europe targeted by spiralling campaign of sabotage - and Russia is the chief suspect
Kushner told the Ukrainian president that Trump was "very determined to see an end of this war", and thanked the UK, Germany and France for their efforts in trying to achieve peace.
Witkoff added that the US negotiators would continue for "as long as it takes", praising Zelensky for his "unsurpassed" hospitality on their trip.
The Ukrainian leader earlier greeted Witkoff and Jared Kushner at Kyiv's St Sophia Cathedral, near where a Russian drone hit the headquarters of Ukraine's security services on Friday.
On Saturday, the two envoys met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks on ending the war that were described as "frank" and "constructive" by the Kremlin.
The envoys travelled to Kyiv by train after flying to Poland – Zelensky told the media that 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 carry out their trip.
While Witkoff and Kushner were in talks at the Kremlin on Saturday, Zelensky said he and his team were "ready for a substantive conversation".
Watch: President Zelensky welcomes US envoys in Kyiv
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 the postwar peace is needed. Our proposals are ready," he said.
Overnight, Russian and Ukrainian forces continued to exchange strikes, with Ukraine confirming they struck an oil refinery, an airfield, and two air defence systems.
The country's defence ministry said they targeted the Ryazan oil refinery, which supplies the Russian army, and an airfield in Rostov-on-Don.
Earlier, Ukraine's Air Force reported that Russia attacked Ukraine with 108 long-range drones and small cruise missiles.
The country's air defences downed 82 drones and six missiles, but 11 locations were hit, with debris falling at a further seven sites.
Witkoff and Kushner travelled into the capital by train where they were met by Ukrainian officials
Saturday's talks in Moscow lasted three hours and were held behind closed doors in Putin's official residence in the heart of the Russian capital, according to Russian state media.
Details are still emerging, but both sides have given broadly positive remarks without going into 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 - areas that it seized back in 2022.
The talks come after Russia and Ukraine have intensified aerial attacks in recent months.
Ukraine says it has struggled to repel ballistic missile attacks due to a lack of interceptor missiles, while Kyiv has focused its strikes on Russian economic infrastructure targets, notably oil installations.
Russia hits Ukrainian security headquarters in drone attack, Zelensky says
Majority Russian-speaking city in Ukraine considers language ban in the arts
Rosenberg: Putin's veiled threat to UK part of Russia's campaign against West
Volodymyr Zelensky
War in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin
Russia
Ukraine
