US Envoys Arrive in Kyiv After Moscow Talks

US peace envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian officials in Kyiv on Sunday, as part of efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

Kushner and Witkoff arrived from Moscow, where they held three hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday. According to available information, the meeting has not yet yielded a breakthrough. Putin described Saturday's talks as “highly useful”. A White House official told Reuters that further steps would be announced in the coming weeks.

During the meeting, Zelensky said there is an opportunity to achieve peace before the United States turns its attention to the next presidential election, starting next summer. He added that Ukraine wants an end to the war.

“Security guarantees are needed. A dignified post-war peace is needed. Our proposals have been drawn up”, he said.

In previous negotiations, the positions of both sides remained significantly apart on many key issues, particularly the future of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Russia demands that Ukraine withdraw from the belt of fortified towns it still controls there. Kyiv rejects this, arguing it can hold these positions for years to come.

At the same time, firm security guarantees from European allies and the United States are essential for Ukraine, as they would deter Russia from another invasion.

(Reuters, sak)