Envoys reported substantive progress on scheduling trilateral talks
Russian missiles and drones struck six districts of Kyiv on Tuesday, killing at least two people and wounding at least ten others and ending a three-day pause in Russian attacks that had coincided with U.S. peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s visit to Moscow and Kyiv.
The resumed strikes came after Witkoff announced “substantive progress” toward scheduling additional trilateral talks and after Zelensky said the envoys told him “the Russians are ready to negotiate.”
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said administrative buildings, warehouses, schools and residential buildings were damaged across the six districts. Zelensky described the attack in a post on X as “a complex attack that the Russians tried to plan to cause as much harm to life as possible — ballistic missiles, cruise and anti-ship missiles, and jet-powered ‘shaheds.’”
Putin had ordered the halt in attacks during the Witkoff-Kushner visit to Moscow and Kyiv in the hopes of negotiating peace between the two countries. The envoys met with Putin on Saturday and Zelensky on Sunday. According to Zelensky, the envoys told him “the Russians are ready to negotiate.”
At a Sunday press conference in Kyiv with Witkoff and Kushner, Zelensky said, “Please come more often, so that our people have the chance to live normally.”
Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha said on X on Tuesday that “As soon as the U.S. presidential peace envoys left the city, Putin launched another massive and horrific attack on Kyiv.” He added, “[Putin’s] ballistic missiles speak louder than his words on diplomacy.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia has not ruled out three-way talks between the nations. But he added that “it is too early to say anything about the venue or the exact dates at this stage.”
Witkoff announced on X that “substantive progress was made, including movement on scheduling additional trilateral talks. President [Donald] Trump is working hard to stop the killing and work towards a lasting and durable peace.”
In an interview with Axios, Zelensky said, “Russia really thinks that this winter can help them to break us.” He said the United States wanted to de-escalate the war before winter comes, and that the talks focused on energy facilities, grain shipments and oil and gas exports, though he did not share additional details.