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🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Conflict & Security

Peace talks rich in symbolism, but fundamental differences between Russia and Ukraine remain

From BBC News · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Analysis Named sources Ongoing story
  • US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv after holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
  • The discussions produced warm statements about substantive talks and a possible revival of trilateral negotiations, but the sides remain divided over territory, security guarantees, NATO membership and the size of Ukraine’s army.
  • Kyiv expects the fighting to continue through a difficult winter, although some diplomats see a possible settlement window next spring.

The peace talks in Kyiv carried powerful symbolism, but they did not bridge the central differences between Russia and Ukraine. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner became the first envoys of US President Donald Trump to visit Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion. They travelled by train because flying would have exposed them to the risk of Russian drones.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed them at Kyiv’s Saint Sophia Cathedral, a landmark of Ukrainian history located only a short distance from the headquarters of the country’s security services, which Russian drones struck on Friday. The setting made the meeting itself a message about Ukraine’s ability to withstand the war.

The delegations held talks for several hours and were later joined by European national security advisers, including the UK’s Jonathan Powell. Afterwards, the participants described the discussions as substantive and spoke hopefully about reviving earlier trilateral talks involving the United States, Europe and Ukraine.

tangible advances

· Vladimir PutinPutin used the phrase when describing Russia’s battlefield position to the US envoys in Moscow.

Yet the accounts of the war remain sharply opposed. The US envoys had just come from Moscow, where Vladimir Putin told them Russia was making “tangible advances” on the battlefield. Ukrainian officials gave them the opposite assessment, saying Ukraine gained more territory than it lost in August and that Russia suffered 42,000 casualties, dead or wounded.

Putin also said the conflict’s root causes had to be addressed, a phrase linked in the article to Russia’s demands that Ukraine surrender territory, abandon its NATO ambitions and reduce its army. Zelenskyy said Ukraine would need “strong and clear” security guarantees, including a strong army, and showed no willingness to surrender territory in the eastern Donbas. Witkoff said a settlement had the necessary ingredients, but acknowledged that both sides would need to compromise. Kyiv therefore expects the fighting to continue, despite a short pause in air strikes that gave residents brief relief. Some diplomats see an opportunity next spring, while others remain doubtful that the pause will last.

strong and clear

· Volodymyr ZelenskyyZelenskyy said Ukraine would need these security guarantees in any settlement.
About this summary

Originally published by BBC News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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