KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky began talks Sunday with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Kyiv, greeting them at St. Sophia Cathedral after their first visit to the capital as negotiators, the BBC reported.
The envoys arrived by train after flying to Poland. Zelensky said Russia’s strikes had made it impossible for their plane to land even though Ukrainian airports had been prepared. On Saturday they held about three hours of closed-door talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow that the Kremlin called constructive and frank.
Putin and Zelensky agreed to halt strikes on each other’s capitals for three days while the mediators travel. Overnight, forces continued strikes elsewhere: Ukraine said it hit the Ryazan oil refinery and a Rostov airfield, while Kyiv’s air force said Russia launched 108 drones and missiles overnight, with 82 drones and six missiles intercepted.
Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to discuss bringing “the end of the war closer” but needed security guarantees and a dignified peace. A White House official told Reuters next steps from the Moscow talks would be announced in coming weeks.
Sources: BBC; Associated Press.
