Ukraine: Zelenskyy holds three-hour meeting with Trump envoys, says compromises are needed

Volodymyr Zelenskyy described his three-hour meeting with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Kyiv as “very substantive,” with security and economic guarantees for Ukraine at the center of the discussions.

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Very substantive

The talks also addressed supplies of air-defense missiles and a winter support package. Zelenskyy said he hoped trilateral discussions involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States would resume soon. Further talks with European representatives were scheduled for Sunday, while national security advisers from Britain, France and Germany were already in Kyiv.

Witkoff said the discussions were “substantive, significant, and very encouraging.” He said both sides would need to make compromises, narrow their differences and use the available elements to reach an agreement. “It is very difficult, but we are determined, we care about it, and we hope that all this will lead to a diplomatic resolution” of the conflict, he added.

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Substantive, significant, and very encouraging

The American envoys traveled to Kyiv after visiting Moscow, where they met Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin described Putin's discussions with them as “extremely frank” and said the envoys presented “a series of ideas” on possible ways to resolve the conflict. Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said the delegation had prepared carefully, reiterated its interest in a rapid end to hostilities and discussed possible settlement options without providing details.

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Both sides will have to make compromises and narrow their differences, and we believe we have the necessary elements to reach that.

Zelenskyy called the Kyiv talks very substantive and said the discussions focused on security, economic support and the prospects for restarting a three-way negotiating format.

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It is very difficult, but we are determined, we care about it, and we hope that all this will lead to a diplomatic resolution.