Zelensky warns war likely to continue into winter after US talks
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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (fourth from right) meeting with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner (third and second from left, respectively) in Kyiv.
PHOTO: AFP
KYIV - War with Russia “at the moment” looked likely to continue into winter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept 6, after holding talks with US envoys visiting Kyiv.
US envoy Steve Witkoff and Zelensky both gave upbeat assessments of the talks, but neither announced any breakthroughs on ending the war with Russia.
Witkoff, who is President Donald Trump’s business ally, and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, travelled to Kyiv a day after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow – the latest of several visits to the city.
The trip to Kyiv on Sept 6 was their first visit to the Ukrainian capital, which has been hit by deadly Russian strikes for more than four years.
Zelensky said: “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.
Zelensky also said that Ukraine would hold talks with the US, France and Germany, but did not elaborate.
The Ukrainian leader, who has called for a meeting with Putin before, repeated his call that only a meeting between leaders could solve territorial issues.
Moscow occupies large swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine and the Kremlin told the Americans on Sept 5 it was feeling “confident” it would advance more.
Moscow has said it wants not just the territories it occupies but the land it claims as Russian to be recognised as its own – terms unacceptable to Kyiv.
‘On same side’
Witkoff added that both sides would need to compromise. “We think we have the ingredients to get to that place,” he said.
“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.”
Kushner added: “Hopefully this trip has come out with some new ways to advance forward. I think we’ve learned a lot from the trip.”
Witkoff and Kushner travelled to the region hoping to revive the Trump administration’s push for peace in Europe’s worst conflict since World War II, after a summer of escalation.
Another round of talks in the presence of British, French and German representatives was still ongoing.
Zelensky said he was grateful the Europeans were there, adding: “Here we are all on the same side.”
Like all visiting officials, the American delegation had arrived by train, with “Peace Express” written on the platform at Kyiv Central Station.
Zelensky said Kyiv had “prepared everything to make our airports operational”, but Russian strikes had made arriving by plane impossible.
Ukrainian airspace has been closed since Russia launched its invasion in 2022.
Russia and Ukraine have vowed not to strike each other’s capitals during the US envoys’ trip.
‘Substantive plans’
Moscow’s invasion has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.
A White House official said in a statement to AFP that in Moscow the envoys had “discussed substantive plans which will be announced in the coming weeks”.
Without elaborating, the Kremlin said the Americans “put forward a number of ideas on possible routes to a settlement”.
Putin has repeatedly said Moscow intends to seize the rest of eastern Ukraine, and Russia increased deadly strikes this summer.
Since Putin launched the invasion in February 2022, the war has dragged on with no end in sight.
In Kyiv, few people appeared to believe in a 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”.
“At the moment, I have no grounds for hope,” said 29-year-old Yaroslav, saying he had seen “far too many of these negotiation processes”.
Putin on Sept 5 told the US envoys that Moscow would ensure their safety in Kyiv.
Trump had said his envoys were bringing a “proposal” to end the fighting.
“We have an idea for peace,” he said, without elaborating.
Despite the ceasefire pledges for the capital cities, fighting continued elsewhere.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia had attacked overnight with 108 drones and missiles, while Moscow said it had shot down 258 drones.
Ukraine said on Sept 5 that 10 people were killed by Russian strikes, including an 11-year-old boy. AFP
