Zelenskyy Tells US Delegation Russia-Ukraine War Could Drag Till Winter, Expresses Hope For Agreement

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday (local time) held a meeting with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Kyiv and expressed hope that an agreement with the US is likely, but expected the Russia-Ukraine war to drag on till winter.

Following his meeting with Witkoff and Kushner, Zelenskyy, in a series of posts on X, wrote,“We hope that we will be able to reach arrangements with our American partners in this domain, and we hope for the support of European partners. If the war continues into the winter, we are counting heavily on the winter package, which I discussed in detail today with Steve, Jared, and our European partners. We are counting on support for air defense and the energy sector, as well as substantial volumes of American LNG and the ability to use them.”

Quick answers to key questions

.5 QUESTIONS1What did Zelenskyy discuss with the US envoys regarding the Russia-Ukraine war?⌵

Zelenskyy discussed hopes for a potential agreement with the US, expected the war to continue into winter, and emphasized the need for support in air defense and energy sectors.

2Why does Zelenskyy expect the Russia-Ukraine war to drag on until winter?⌵

Zelenskyy expressed this concern following talks with US envoys, indicating a grim outlook amid ongoing negotiations and the challenging battlefield dynamics.

3How are US envoys working to facilitate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine?⌵

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are meeting with both Ukrainian and Russian leaders to restart negotiations and address options for resolution.

4Should Ukraine expect significant support from the US and European partners during the winter?⌵

Yes, Zelenskyy highlighted a winter package from allies, focusing on air defense reinforcements and energy support, particularly American LNG.

5What are the key outcomes from the recent meetings between Zelenskyy and the US envoys?⌵

The meetings resulted in positive discussions about mediation efforts, recognition of the need for compromise, and the potential for substantive future talks.

Zelenskyy lauds US envoys' efforts

Zelenskyy lauded the efforts made by the US envoys, who first met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on 5 September to renew negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv as the war drags into its fifth year. Praising Witkoff and Kushner, Zelenskyy wrote, "I want to recognize the role of Steve and Jared in restarting the negotiation process today. It is important that the American team met with the head of Russia, and today with me, and that we discussed all the possibilities. We had a trilateral meeting with the participation of the Europeans, as well as a meeting of national security advisors, and I think we will do everything possible to restore these negotiations."

Separately, Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine is holding more talks with British, German and French representatives. Earlier in the day, Zelenskyy had said: "We are expecting one session of our talks, and then another session will be held with the European NSAs (national security advisors)."

US envoys call for compromise

It was the first visit to Kyiv for Witkoff and Kushner, who described the talks positively but did not announce any breakthrough towards ending the war with Russia.

Steve Witkoff said that compromise would need to come from both sides, and added, "We think we have the ingredients to get to that place," Euronews reported.

Also Read | US envoys Witkoff, Kushner meet Putin to discuss ending the Russia-Ukraine war

Highlighting the positive talks with both sides over the weekend, Witkoff further said, "We've had a very meaningful discussion, substantive, important, and we are very encouraged, and we look forward to continuing this as long as it takes." Kushner, who accompanied Witkoff, noted, "Hopefully this trip has come out with some new ways to advance forward. I think we've learned a lot from the trip."

Witkoff, Kushner meet Putin

On 5 September, the US envoys met with Putin at the Kremlin and called on the two sides to resume negotiations that were suspended six months ago. During the three-hour meeting, Putin told Witkoff and Kushner that he had "full trust" in Washington's mediation efforts between Moscow and Kyiv.

Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy aide, told Russian reporters that Witkoff and Kushner "made serious preparations for this trip. They not only expressed their traditional interest in a speedy end to the fighting but also formulated a number of ideas regarding possible resolution paths."

After the talks concluded, Putin's foreign policy aide noted that the discussions were "substantive, constructive, exceptionally candid, and conducted in a spirit of trust." He added, "The Russian side provided clear and comprehensive assessments of the situation developing during the special military operation."

However, it remains to be seen whether Moscow will agree to resume negotiations.

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