A renewed US effort to revive negotiations between Russia and Ukraine has ended without a breakthrough, leaving Kyiv preparing for another winter of war despite renewed diplomatic activity.
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 meetings produced no agreement on the central disputes that have kept the peace process stalled.
The Kremlin said Monday that it had not ruled out resuming three-way negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States, but spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it remained too early to discuss when or where another meeting could take place.
The cautious response reflects the gap between the two sides. Russia continues to demand concessions over territory, while Ukraine has resisted giving up land and is seeking security guarantees that would protect it against another Russian offensive.
Zelenskyy said his discussions with the American envoys focused heavily on Ukraine’s military needs as the country approaches another winter. Air defence has become an immediate concern as Russian strikes continue to target Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure.
Kyiv is seeking additional Patriot missile systems and a broader package of American support for both air defence and energy infrastructure.
The request reflects a difficult reality for Ukraine. Even while diplomacy resumes, the military pressure has not eased.
Zelenskyy said Russia had intensified attacks ahead of its parliamentary elections later this month and accused Russian forces of deliberately targeting civilians. Ukraine is also expanding its own drone-defence capabilities, working with dozens of domestic companies to increase production.
The talks have nevertheless reopened a channel that had appeared increasingly difficult to sustain. European officials also took part in discussions in Kyiv, giving France, Germany and Britain a more visible role after earlier rounds of negotiations largely centred on Moscow, Kyiv and Washington.
That European involvement could become important if the United States pushes for a settlement. Any agreement would have to address not only the immediate fighting but also Ukraine’s security after a ceasefire, the future of occupied territory and the question of whether European governments would provide long-term guarantees.
For now, none of those questions has been resolved.
The absence of progress also means the war is likely to continue into another winter. Russia retains the capacity to strike Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, while Ukraine is increasingly relying on drones and long-range attacks against targets inside Russia.
The diplomatic process has therefore returned without yet changing the military equation.
The Kremlin’s willingness to discuss another round of talks gives the US effort a path forward, but it does not indicate that Moscow or Kyiv has moved closer to accepting the compromises required for a settlement.
