(AFP) – Washington’s envoys have brought new proposals on ending the war with Russia to Kyiv, and President Volodymyr Zelensky is meeting them again in a trio format, a senior Ukrainian presidential official told AFP Sunday. The new talks came after Zelensky said “at the moment” the war with Russia looked likely to continue into winter, following initial discussions with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. But the senior presidential official told AFP: “It’s not the same as it was before. This one now is more effective. They’re still talking. This is actually the most important part.”
Earlier on Sunday, Witkoff and Zelensky had both given upbeat assessments of the talks, even if neither announced any breakthroughs on ending the conflict. Witkoff, who is President Donald Trump’s business ally, and Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, travelled to Kyiv a day after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow — the latest of several visits to the city. Sunday’s visit to Kyiv was their first to the Ukrainian capital, which has been enduring deadly Russian strikes for more than four years.
Zelensky said: “We very much hope that we will be able to reach agreements with our American partners, and we are counting on the support of our European partners if the war continues in winter — and this is how it appears at the moment.” Zelensky also indicated that Ukraine would hold talks with the US, France, and Germany, but did not elaborate. The Ukrainian leader repeated his call that only a meeting between the two leaders could solve territorial issues.
Moscow occupies large swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, and the Kremlin told the Americans Saturday it was feeling “confident” it would advance more. Moscow has asserted that it wants not just the territories it occupies but also the land it claims as Russian to be recognized as its own — terms that are unacceptable to Kyiv. Witkoff stated that both sides would need to compromise, adding: “We think we have the ingredients to get to that place. We’ve had a very meaningful discussion, substantive, important, and we are very encouraged and we look forward to continuing this as long as it takes.”
Kushner added: “Hopefully this trip has come out with some new ways to advance forward. I think we’ve learned a lot from the trip.” Witkoff and Kushner travelled to the region hoping to revive the Trump administration’s push for peace in Europe’s worst conflict since World War II, after a summer of escalation. British, French, and German representatives attended a separate round of the talks. Zelensky expressed gratitude for the European presence, stating: “Here we are all on the same side.”
Like all visiting officials, the US delegation had arrived by train, with “Peace Express” written on the platform at Kyiv Central Station. Ukrainian airspace has been closed since Russia launched its invasion in 2022. Russia and Ukraine vowed not to strike each other’s capitals during the US envoys’ trip.
Moscow’s invasion has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions. A White House official said in a statement to AFP that in Moscow, the envoys had “discussed substantive plans which will be announced in the coming weeks.” Without elaborating, the Kremlin stated that the Americans had “put forward a number of ideas on possible routes to a settlement.”
Putin has repeatedly asserted that Moscow intends to seize the rest of eastern Ukraine, and Russia increased deadly strikes this summer. Since Putin launched the invasion in February 2022, the war has dragged on with no end in sight. In Kyiv, few people appeared to believe in a breakthrough. Nataliia Lipekh, 67, remarked it was “absolutely necessary (for them) to be here” and to see that “our land is already soaked with this blood and that we need some help.”
“At the moment, I have no grounds for hope,” said 29-year-old Yaroslav, expressing skepticism after witnessing “far too many of these negotiation processes.” Putin on Saturday told the US envoys that Moscow would ensure their safety in Kyiv. Trump had said his envoys were bringing a “proposal” to end the fighting.
Despite the ceasefire pledges for the capital cities, fighting continued elsewhere. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia had attacked overnight with 108 drones and missiles, while Moscow claimed it had shot down 258 drones. Ukraine stated on Saturday that 10 people were killed by Russian strikes, including an 11-year-old boy.
– Mykola ZAVGORODNIY
© 2024 AFP
