Symbolism abounds in Kyiv talks, but deep divisions remain between Russia and Ukraine
US envoys met Ukrainian officials in Kyiv for talks hailed as substantive, yet fundamental disagreements persist. Moscow and Kyiv gave opposing accounts of the battlefield situation.
The negotiations in Kyiv were laden with symbolism. Donald Trump's envoys set foot on Ukrainian soil for the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion, arriving by train because flying would have exposed them to Russian drones. Hours earlier, they had been sitting at the negotiating table in Moscow with the man who ordered those weapons to be launched.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky greeted Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at Saint Sophia Cathedral, a landmark of Ukraine's ancient heritage located just a few dozen metres from the site where a Russian drone strike hit the security services headquarters on Friday. The choice of venue appeared to send an unmistakable message.
The two sides held talks for several hours, later joined by European national security advisers, including the UK's National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell. Afterwards, all parties spoke positively about the discussions and voiced hope of reviving trilateral talks involving the US and Europe.
Yet fundamental differences remain. The US envoys arrived from Moscow, where Vladimir Putin had told them Russia was making 'tangible advances' on the battlefield. Ukraine's account was the opposite: officials say that in August Kyiv gained more territory than it lost, while Russia suffered 42,000 casualties in dead and wounded.
Putin also stressed to the envoys that the root causes of the conflict must be addressed — a reference to his long-standing strategic demands that Ukraine cede territory, abandon Nato aspirations and reduce the size of its army.
Zelensky insisted after the meeting that Ukraine needs strong and clear security guarantees, including a robust military. He gave no indication of willingness to relinquish territory in eastern Donbas, describing the issue dryly as 'difficult'.
Witkoff insisted progress had been made and that the ingredients for a settlement are in place. But he admitted both sides would need to make compromises to narrow their differences. For now, it is hard to see either side doing so.
In Kyiv, expectations are that fighting will continue and that a hard winter lies ahead. Some diplomats refer to a possible window for a settlement next spring; others are less optimistic. Zelensky thanked the US envoys because the short-term pause in air strikes agreed by both sides gave Kyiv residents a brief respite. Few expect it to hold for long.
