Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he expects the war with Russia to continue through the winter, following a several-hour meeting with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, both emissaries of US President Donald Trump, in their first visit to Ukraine since Russia's invasion began. Zelenskyy told reporters that both sides agreed to hold a follow-up meeting with officials from Ukraine, Europe, and the United States to continue discussions.
Witkoff said he left the talks feeling "inspired," describing them as "substantive" and important. Zelenskyy emphasised that he wants a fair peace that does not give Russia the chance to commit new acts of aggression. Zelenskyy also stated that if the war continues through the winter "which appears to be the current situation," Ukraine will need support in air defence and energy.
Kushner stated that Trump is "very motivated to see an end to this war," and thanked Britain, Germany, and France for their efforts in peace efforts. Witkoff and Kushner held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday about ways to end the war, which the Kremlin described as "honest" and "constructive."
Witkoff said the emissaries met Putin first because they "needed to know his position," while adding that the American team "made great progress in Moscow." When asked about the talks, Kushner said the American team reviewed "many ideas that have not worked so far" and tried to think about the elements needed to achieve "lasting peace."
Putin's talks with Witkoff and Kushner at the Kremlin lasted three hours and ten minutes and focused on efforts to end the war, along with other issues in Moscow-Washington relations. Yuri Ushakov, an assistant to the Russian President, described the meeting as "productive, constructive, and honest to the highest degree," and said the atmosphere was marked by trust. He added that discussions were not limited to resolving the war in Ukraine but included economic issues and potential mutually beneficial major Russia-America projects.
Ushakov said the American emissaries expressed a desire to halt hostilities as soon as possible and presented "a series of ideas" about possible ways to achieve a resolution. In return, the Russian side offered a detailed assessment of the situation on the ground and showed what it called "real progress" by its forces, while emphasising the need to address what Moscow called the "root causes of the conflict."
Putin praised Trump's efforts to achieve a resolution at the start of the meeting, saying communication with the United States "has always been productive." Witkoff conveyed greetings from the American President and his thanks for actions taken to ensure the delegation's safety.
However, statements following the meeting contained no announcement of any agreement or breakthrough on major outstanding issues between Moscow and Kyiv. Ushakov said direct communication between Putin and Trump would continue, along with ongoing work through Witkoff and Kushner.
The emissaries' tour was accompanied by a limited understanding to halt airstrikes between Moscow and Kyiv for three days, without achieving a broader ceasefire across the entire front line. Putin ordered Russian forces to avoid targeting Kyiv for three days starting from midnight on Saturday, while Zelenskyy announced Ukraine's readiness to cease strikes on Moscow until the end of Monday, calling on Russia to do the same.
Zelenskyy received Witkoff and Kushner at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv, near a location where a Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine's security service on Friday. The emissaries arrived in Kyiv by train after flying to Poland. Zelenskyy said landing their plane in Ukraine was not possible, despite preparations for it.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia attacked the country with 108 long-range drones and cruise missiles, stating that air defences shot down 82 drones and six missiles. The attacks hit 11 locations, while debris from projectiles fell in seven other locations. The Russian Ministry of Defence said it carried out a "collective strike" using high-precision weapons and long-range attack drones, targeting a metal plant in the Dnipropetrovsk region that it said supplies Ukrainian military industrial facilities, as well as logistics centres and power plants in the city of Mykolaiv and the Mykolaiv and Odesa regions.
Ukraine announced it targeted oil refineries, an airport, and two air defence systems inside Russia. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence said its forces bombed the Ryazan refinery, which it said supplies fuel to the Russian military, along with an airport in the city of Rostov-on-Don. The Russian Ministry of Defence said its air defences intercepted and destroyed 53 Ukrainian drones over Moscow, the Krasnodar region, and other areas.
