Witkoff and Kushner hold Ukraine talks in Kyiv after meeting Putin

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held talks in Kyiv on Sunday that both sides called encouraging, but the meeting produced no breakthrough toward ending Russia's war in Ukraine. It marked the pair's first official visit to the country. Kushner acknowledged the difficulty of the task, saying Washington was working behind the scenes to build conditions for a possible deal, calling it a very hard problem the US would nonetheless keep trying to solve.

With Ukrainian airspace closed because of the war, the envoys traveled to Kyiv by train from Poland. A day earlier they had met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, who had declared a three-day ceasefire to secure their safe passage.

Zelenskyy: a 'winter package' will be needed

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held three rounds of talks with the envoys, with the final session joined by national security advisers from the UK, France and Germany. Afterward, Zelenskyy said the discussions centered on military aid, including Patriot air defense systems and other weapons Ukraine will need in coming months. He said Kyiv was seeking substantial support from both the US and its European partners, warning that if the war continues into winter, a dedicated winter support package would be required. He also welcomed the presence of European representatives in Kyiv.

Russia's account of the Moscow meeting

President Donald Trump's push to end the four-and-a-half-year war has lost momentum in recent months after January talks with Putin failed to yield results, and Saturday's Moscow meeting likewise produced no announcements. Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov described the talks as constructive and useful, mentioning economic issues and potential large-scale Russia-US projects, but gave no specifics. Negotiators continue to struggle over major sticking points, including the future of the Donbas industrial region.

Fighting shows no sign of easing

Strong security guarantees from European allies and Washington remain essential for Ukraine to deter further Russian aggression. Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, recently said he does not expect the fighting to end before spring 2027 and predicted more major Russian air strikes this winter. Putin continues to press for full control of Donbas, Russian drones keep targeting Kyiv, and Ukraine has focused its own drone strikes on Russia's energy sector and online retail infrastructure.