Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that the war with Russia could continue into the winter, as negotiations involving senior US officials ended in Kyiv without a major breakthrough.
Zelensky made the remarks after holding several hours of closed-door discussions with US President Donald Trump’s special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who travelled to Ukraine following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
The Kyiv meeting marked the first visit by the two US representatives to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Although no major agreement was announced, Witkoff described the discussions as “substantive” and said he was encouraged by the outcome.
“We’re confident there’ll be a good resolution here,” Witkoff told reporters, adding that the US delegation had made significant progress during its earlier meeting with Putin in Moscow.
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Kushner said the talks with the Russian president focused on reviewing proposals that had previously failed and exploring what would be required to achieve a lasting peace.
“It was a very good dialogue. He [Putin] asked a lot of questions, we asked a lot of questions,” Kushner said.
Witkoff explained that the US delegation had met Putin before travelling to Kyiv because they needed to understand the Russian leader’s position on the conflict.
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Zelensky Calls for Lasting Peace
Zelensky said Ukraine remained committed to achieving peace but insisted that any settlement must be fair and must prevent Russia from launching another attack in the future.
Following the talks, he said Ukraine, European countries and the United States had agreed to hold another meeting in the near future.
The Ukrainian president also called for a direct trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States as part of efforts to bring the conflict to an end.
However, Zelensky acknowledged that the war could continue into the winter.
“If the war continues into winter, which is what it looks like for now,” he said, Ukraine would require additional support, particularly in air defence and energy infrastructure.
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Ukraine Seeks More Air Defence Support
Ukraine has relied heavily on US-made Patriot air defence systems to intercept Russian ballistic missiles.
But concerns have grown over the availability of Patriot interceptors after the United States used significant quantities of its missile stocks during its war with Iran.
Zelensky said Ukraine would need to strengthen its domestic capacity to defend against ballistic missiles.
He also said Kyiv was counting on increased American production of interceptors next year.
The issue is particularly important as Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during previous winter campaigns, seeking to disrupt electricity and heating supplies.
US Envoys Travelled to Kyiv by Train
Witkoff and Kushner travelled to Kyiv by train after flying to neighbouring Poland.
Zelensky said the US delegation had originally prepared to travel by air but was unable to land in Ukraine despite preparations being made for the flight.
The visit took place under a temporary agreement between Putin and Zelensky to halt strikes against each other’s capitals for three days while the negotiations were under way.
Zelensky welcomed the two US envoys at Kyiv’s historic St Sophia Cathedral, close to the headquarters of Ukraine’s security services, which was struck by a Russian drone on Friday.
Russia and Ukraine Continue Attacks
Despite the diplomatic efforts, Russian and Ukrainian forces continued exchanging attacks overnight.
Ukraine said its forces struck an oil refinery, an airfield and two Russian air defence systems.
Earlier, Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia had launched 108 long-range drones and small cruise missiles against Ukrainian targets.
According to Ukrainian authorities, air defences intercepted 82 drones and six missiles. However, 11 locations were hit, while falling debris was reported at seven additional sites.
The continued attacks underscore the challenges facing the latest diplomatic efforts.
Putin Describes Moscow Talks as Constructive
The US envoys had met Putin in Moscow on Saturday for approximately three hours in talks held behind closed doors inside the Kremlin.
Russian state media quoted Putin’s adviser, Yuri Ushakov, as describing the discussions as “constructive” and “extremely frank.”
According to Ushakov, the talks covered efforts to end the war, economic issues and possible “mutually beneficial Russian-American projects.”
He also said the Russian side highlighted what it described as the army’s “tangible advances” on the battlefield and argued that negotiations must address what Moscow calls the “root causes” of the conflict.
Ukraine and its Western allies, however, have repeatedly rejected Russia’s justification for the invasion.
No Clear Breakthrough Yet
The latest diplomatic activity comes as Russia and Ukraine have intensified their aerial attacks in recent months.
While Russia continues to occupy roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, its ground forces have generally made slow advances during much of the conflict and have suffered heavy casualties.
The latest talks therefore represent another attempt by Washington to find a diplomatic pathway towards ending the war, but Zelensky’s warning that fighting could continue into winter highlights the significant obstacles that remain.
For now, both sides continue to combine military operations with diplomatic manoeuvring, with the possibility of a broader US-backed peace process still uncertain.
