Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that the war with Russia is likely to continue into the winter, following talks in Kyiv with U.S. peace envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.
Speaking after Sunday’s discussions, Zelenskyy said Ukraine remained hopeful of reaching agreements with its American partners but acknowledged that, based on the current situation, the conflict was likely to continue for several more months.
“We very much hope that we will be able to reach agreements with our American partners, and we count on the support of our European partners if the war continues into the winter — and that is what it looks like at the moment,” Zelenskyy said.
Witkoff said any eventual settlement would require an agreement acceptable to both sides, while describing the discussions in Kyiv as substantive and encouraging.
“We think we have elements to get to that point,” Witkoff said.
“We had a very meaningful, substantial, important discussion, and we are very encouraged and look forward to continuing this for as long as it takes.”
Kushner also expressed optimism that the visit could identify new avenues for diplomacy.
“We hope this trip has come up with some new ways to move forward. I think we learned a lot from the trip,” he said.
U.S. envoys visit Kyiv after Moscow talks
The Kyiv meeting marked the first visit by Witkoff and Kushner to the Ukrainian capital.
The two U.S. representatives arrived in Kyiv by train after traveling to Moscow the previous day, where they met Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of Washington’s efforts to advance negotiations aimed at ending the war.
Their arrival in Kyiv came aboard the so-called “Peace Express,” with the delegation using the same rail route used by other foreign officials visiting Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said preparations had been made to restore the operation of Ukrainian airports, but renewed Russian attacks prevented that from happening.
He also said separate discussions with British, German and French representatives were continuing as Kyiv seeks to coordinate its position with European partners.
No breakthrough announced
Despite positive assessments from the U.S. envoys, neither side announced a major breakthrough toward ending the conflict.
The talks come as Washington attempts to maintain diplomatic channels with both Moscow and Kyiv while encouraging the parties to move toward a potential agreement.
Zelenskyy and Putin have also pledged not to launch attacks on Kyiv or Moscow while the U.S. envoys conduct their diplomatic efforts.
For Ukraine, however, the prospect of the war continuing through the winter underscores the gap between renewed diplomatic engagement and the reality on the battlefield.
The coming weeks are likely to determine whether the latest U.S.-led contacts can produce concrete progress or whether negotiations will continue alongside the ongoing fighting.
