US special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff recently held separate peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Despite these discussions, no significant breakthrough was announced. This lack of progress has led Ukraine and its allies to brace for the conflict with Russia to extend into another winter and potentially into 2027.
Zelenskyy, after meeting with Kushner and Witkoff, described their proposals as "decent ideas" and expressed hope for agreements with American partners, also counting on European support if the war continues through winter, which he indicated is likely. He also called for a "package" of aid from allies, including air defense reinforcements and energy supplies like US LNG, to help Ukraine endure the protracted conflict. Witkoff and Kushner themselves offered upbeat assessments of the talks, with Witkoff acknowledging that both sides would need to compromise.
Conversely, sources familiar with the discussions in Moscow indicated that President Putin remains committed to continuing the war, with his immediate goal being the seizure of all of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, which he believes Russia can achieve within six months. The day after the envoys' visits and a temporary pause in fighting, Russia resumed airstrikes on Kyiv, killing at least two people and damaging buildings, underscoring the ongoing violence despite diplomatic efforts.
While the US envoys presented what a senior Ukrainian official described as "more effective" proposals compared to previous attempts, neither side announced concrete advancements toward a peace settlement. Zelenskyy reiterated his stance that a meeting between the two leaders (Putin and himself) would be necessary to resolve territorial issues. He also mentioned future talks involving the US, France, and Germany, highlighting the multilateral effort to address the conflict. The US envoys had traveled to the region to revive the Trump administration's peace push, acknowledging the need for compromise from both Russia and Ukraine.
