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Envoys meet, talks continue
U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held talks in Kyiv after meeting Vladimir Putin in Moscow, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying he expects the war with Russia to continue into the winter.
“We're confident there'll be a good resolution here”
Zelenskyy told reporters that after the talks, which lasted several hours behind closed doors, officials from Ukraine, Europe and America would meet in the near future to continue discussions, and Witkoff said, "We're confident there'll be a good resolution here."
The BBC reported that the discussions finished without an announcement of a major breakthrough, while the Times of India said the Moscow talks produced no breakthrough and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described them as "highly useful".
The BBC also reported that when asked about the Moscow talks, Kushner said the U.S. team "went through a lot of the ideas that hadn't worked to date" and tried to think about what elements are needed for "durable peace."
Winter stakes and air defense
As the diplomatic push moved from Moscow to Kyiv, Zelenskyy emphasized that if the war continues into the winter—"which is what it looks like for now"—Ukraine would need air defence and energy support, according to the BBC.
CBS News reported that a senior Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said much of the discussion was focused on "how to get through the winter and what can be done before then."
The BBC said Putin and Zelensky agreed to halt strikes on each other's capitals for three days while the negotiators carried out their trip, and it noted that overnight Russian and Ukrainian forces continued to exchange strikes.
The BBC further reported that Ukraine confirmed it struck an oil refinery, an airfield, and two air defence systems, while Ukraine's Air Force said Russia attacked with 108 long-range drones and small cruise missiles and air defences downed 82 drones and six missiles.
Peace package, trilateral talks
Beyond stopping fighting, Jared Kushner told UNITED24 Media that Washington is working to build a broader "peace package" aimed at securing a durable end to Russia’s war against Ukraine, and he said, "What President Trump’s task, you know, Steve and I are doing, is really creating a peace package."
“What President Trump’s task, you know, Steve and I are doing, is really creating a peace package”
The Times of India reported that Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to pursue a peace agreement but stressed that any settlement would need firm security guarantees and a dignified post-war peace, and it quoted Zelenskyy saying, "Our proposals have been drawn up."
The BBC said Zelensky greeted Witkoff and Jared Kushner at Kyiv's St Sophia Cathedral, near where a Russian drone hit the headquarters of Ukraine's security services on Friday, and it reported that Ukraine confirmed it struck the Ryazan oil refinery and an airfield in Rostov-on-Don.
CBS News added that Witkoff said the envoys acknowledged Russia and Ukraine will need to make "compromises" to end the war, while Zelenskyy said the goal was a "just, fair peace" that would ensure there was "never an opportunity to resume aggression against Ukraine."