Defense · Report Line
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, their first official visit to Ukraine. The talks, which followed discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, did not yield a breakthrough in ending the war. Zelenskyy highlighted air defense requirements, including Patriot systems, and a winter support package for energy infrastructure, emphasizing Ukraine's need for substantial American and European backing.
He also noted intensified Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities before Russia’s State Duma election, describing them as deliberate "terror" against civilians. Ukraine is collaborating with 67 domestic companies to develop systems for countering Russia’s jet-powered drones. A follow-up meeting involving Ukraine, the US, and Europe is planned, though the location remains undecided.
US envoys presented new, more effective proposals for ending the war, according to a senior Ukrainian presidential official. Both sides are still negotiating, with three envoys now involved. Ukraine’s rail operator announced the envoys’ departure from Kyiv early on Monday.
Witkoff stated that compromise is necessary, while Kushner expressed hope for progress from the trip. In Moscow, US officials mentioned substantive plans for a settlement, which will be announced in the coming weeks. The Kremlin acknowledged the Americans proposed ideas but did not elaborate.
Witkoff expressed optimism for a new round of US-mediated talks soon. Putin has repeatedly stated Moscow’s intent to seize more of eastern Ukraine, while Zelenskyy insists Russia should not be rewarded for aggression. Additionally, a drone attack on the Russia-held Black Sea port city of Sevastopol killed one person and wounded three others, as reported by the city’s Moscow-appointed governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev.
Russian forces struck a Ukrainian cargo vessel carrying military equipment supplied by Western countries, according to Russian news agencies. Kyiv’s forces targeted the Ryazan oil refinery, about 480 km inside Russia, causing a fire. Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, accused Germany of starting a "real war" over a drone incident near a Ukrainian cargo plane in Leipzig, calling it a declaration of war against Germany.
Berlin responded with a series of measures.
Source: The Guardian
