Kyiv — US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner held what they described as “encouraging” talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday, though no immediate breakthrough was reached in efforts to halt Russia’s war.
The diplomatic push follows the pair’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow the day before. During that encounter, Putin announced a three-day ceasefire to facilitate their travel. Due to Ukraine’s closed airspace, Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Kyiv by train from Poland.
President Zelenskyy held three rounds of discussions with the American envoys. The final session included national security advisers from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Following the meetings, Zelenskyy emphasized the need for substantial military aid, specifically mentioning Patriot missile systems and other essential weapons for the months ahead.
“If the war drags on until winter — and that is how things currently look — we will need a ‘winter package,'” Zelenskyy said. He also expressed appreciation for the presence of European representatives, stating, “Here we are all on the same side.”
Kushner acknowledged the difficulty of the situation, noting that the United States is working “behind the scenes” to create conditions for a potential agreement. “It’s a very, very hard problem, but we’re going to try,” he said.
Despite the diplomatic activity, significant divisions remain between Moscow and Kyiv, particularly regarding territorial concessions. Yuri Ushakov, an adviser to Putin, described the Moscow talks as “constructive, frank, and useful” but declined to disclose specific outcomes. He added that discussions also covered economic issues and potential large-scale Russia-US projects.
The momentum initiated by US President Donald Trump to end the four-and-a-half-year conflict has stalled since January negotiations failed to produce results. Meanwhile, fighting has escalated recently, with Russia targeting the Donbas region and Ukraine striking Russian energy infrastructure and online retailers deep within Russian borders.
Kyrylo Budanov, chief of staff to Zelenskyy, told the New York Times over the weekend that he does not anticipate the conflict ending before spring 2027.
No breakthrough is the honest takeaway here. But at least they are talking again instead of completely ignoring each other after January.
Winter package… we all know what that means. Patriot systems aren’t just nice-to-haves anymore, they are essential for survival this year.
Do we really think Trump’s team can pull off a deal when even the European allies admit it’s a ‘very, very hard problem’?
The arrival by train due to closed airspace is a stark reminder of just how dire the situation really is for Ukraine right now.