Fresh US proposals aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine have given the diplomatic effort new momentum, a senior Ukrainian presidential official said, describing the ideas as “more effective” than earlier plans.
The assessment came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the conflict appeared increasingly likely to stretch into the winter.
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Mr Zelensky and the US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner both offered positive accounts of their discussions, though none announced a breakthrough toward ending the war.
“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,” the senior Ukrainian official said.
Ukraine’s rail operator announced the envoys’ departure for Kyiv in a post on Telegram early the previous morning, publishing a photograph of the pair beneath a station sign bearing the words ‘Peace Express’.
Ukrainian officials wait under a railway sign reading ‘Peace Express’ to greet US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner
The visit marked Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner’s first trip to the Ukrainian capital, which has faced deadly Russian attacks for more than four years.
“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,” Mr Zelensky said.
He said Ukraine would also hold discussions with the US, France and Germany, but gave no further details. Mr Zelensky again argued that territorial questions could be resolved only through a meeting between the two countries’ leaders.
In a message thanking the US envoys for travelling to Ukraine, Mr Zelensky wrote on X: “The main thing is to achieve peace for Ukraine – a dignified, reliable, and lasting peace. We are directing all our efforts toward this.”
‘On same side’
Russia controls large areas of eastern and southern Ukraine, while the Kremlin told the American envoys on Saturday that it felt “confident” it could capture more territory.
Moscow has said it wants not only to retain the land it occupies but also to have territory it claims as Russian formally recognised as its own. Kyiv has rejected those terms.
Mr Witkoff said both sides would have to make concessions, 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,” he said.
Ukrainian officials and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held talks in Kyiv
“Hopefully this trip has come out with some new ways to advance forward. I think we’ve learned a lot from the trip,” Mr Kushner said.
Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner travelled to the region seeking to revive the Trump administration’s peace initiative for Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, following a summer marked by renewed escalation.
Representatives from Britain, France and Germany took part in a separate round of negotiations.
Mr Zelensky said he was grateful for the European presence. “Here we are all on the same side,” he said.
As with other foreign officials visiting Ukraine, the US delegation reached Kyiv by train. The words ‘Peace Express’ had been displayed on the platform at Kyiv Central Station.
Ukraine’s airspace has remained closed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Russia and Ukraine had pledged not to attack each other’s capitals during the envoys’ visit, but strikes continued elsewhere.
The Russian military struck a vessel in the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk yesterday evening, saying it was carrying military cargo, Interfax reported today, citing Russia’s defence ministry.
At the port of Izmail, the Russian military struck loading facilities this morning, Interfax reported, again citing the defence ministry.
‘Substantive plans’
Russia’s invasion has killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced millions from their homes.
A White House official said in a statement that the envoys had “discussed substantive plans which will be announced in the coming weeks”.
The Kremlin offered few details, saying only that the Americans had “put forward a number of ideas on possible routes to a settlement”.
President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said Russia intends to seize the remainder of eastern Ukraine, while Moscow intensified its deadly attacks over the summer.
More than four years after Mr Putin launched the invasion in February 2022, the war continues with no clear end in sight.
In Ukraine, there was little visible confidence that the latest discussions would produce an immediate breakthrough.
Nataliia Lipekh, 67, said 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”.
