Diplomacy & Geopolitics
Ukraine war likely to continue into winter, Zelensky says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that the war with Russia appeared likely at the moment to continue into winter, after talks in Kyiv with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner ended without an announced breakthrough.
Zelensky said Ukraine hoped to reach agreements with its American partners and was counting on European support if the war continued in winter.
Witkoff and Kushner travelled to Kyiv a day after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. It was their first visit to the Ukrainian capital, which has been hit by Russian strikes during more than four years of war.
Witkoff said both sides would need to compromise and described the talks as meaningful, substantive and important. Kushner said the trip had produced possible new ways to move forward.
Another round of talks in Kyiv with British, French and German representatives was still ongoing. Zelensky said Ukraine was grateful for the European presence, adding that they were all on the same side.
The US delegation arrived by train. Zelensky said Kyiv had prepared to make its airports operational, but Russian strikes made arrival by plane impossible. Ukrainian airspace has been closed since Russia launched its invasion in 2022.
A White House official told AFP that the envoys had discussed "substantive plans" in Moscow that would be announced in the coming weeks. The Kremlin said the Americans had put forward ideas on possible routes to a settlement, without giving details. US President Donald Trump has said the envoys were carrying a proposal and that the United States had an idea for peace.
Russia and Ukraine said they would not strike each other's capitals during the US envoys' trip, but fighting continued elsewhere. Ukraine's air force said Russia attacked overnight with 108 drones and missiles, while Moscow said it shot down 258 drones. Ukraine said Russian strikes killed 10 people on Saturday, including an 11-year-old boy.
Russia's invasion has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions. Putin has repeatedly said Moscow intends to seize the rest of eastern Ukraine, and Russia increased deadly strikes during the summer.
Update
Volodymyr Zelensky said the war with Russia appeared likely at the moment to continue into winter.
Zelensky said Ukraine hoped to reach agreements with US partners and was counting on European support if the war continued in winter.
US envoy Steve Witkoff said both sides would need to compromise.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 17:52:59 UTC.
Update
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday.
The visit was their first trip to the Ukrainian capital after several trips to Moscow.
Witkoff called the talks meaningful, substantive and important, but the item reported no sign of a breakthrough.
Kushner said the trip may have produced new ways to move forward.
Further talks with British, French and German representatives were still ongoing.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 15:45:57 UTC.
Update
A White House official said the envoys discussed plans for next steps that would be announced in the coming weeks.
The White House official said the envoys looked forward to meetings in Ukraine the next day.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 00:58:01 UTC.
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The White House said US envoys discussed “substantive plans” for Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 September 2026 at 00:49:36 UTC.
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Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Russia told the US envoys that Moscow was confident it could achieve its military goals of seizing the rest of eastern Ukraine.
Russia's TASS news agency reported that the US envoys had flown out of Moscow.
The source says it was Kushner and Witkoff's eighth visit to Moscow during the war and would be their first visit to Kyiv.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 22:27:54 UTC.
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The Kremlin said US envoys outlined a “number of ideas” on ending the Ukraine war to Vladimir Putin.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 21:40:11 UTC.
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A Kremlin aide described Putin's talks with US envoys as "extremely frank".
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 21:34:59 UTC.
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Ukrainian officials said Russian strikes killed 10 people across Ukraine on Saturday, up from the earlier seven reported in the matched story.
Local officials said three members of one family were killed in Chuguiv in the Kharkiv region.
The Kremlin talks ended after just over three hours, past 11:00 pm in Moscow.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 20:49:41 UTC.
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Russian state media reported that the talks ended after around three hours.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 20:23:14 UTC.
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Russian state media reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin's talks with US envoys on Ukraine had ended.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 20:18:15 UTC.
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Putin told Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner that Russia would do what depended on it to ensure their safety during the negotiation process in Kyiv.
Putin thanked Donald Trump for continuing efforts to end the war and said the task was not simple.
Ukrainian officials said Russian strikes killed seven people across Ukraine on Saturday, including two in the Bucha district outside Kyiv and five in the Dnipro region.
Putin said he had noted that Ukraine had significantly reduced strikes on Russia and Moscow.
Zelensky said he expected the US envoys in Kyiv on Sunday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 19:32:00 UTC.
Update
Russian President Vladimir Putin met US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Saturday for talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
Putin told the US officials that the situation was “not simple” in footage aired by Russian state media.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 17:06:40 UTC.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to refrain from strikes on Moscow through Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Zelensky said he had spoken to US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and that they had begun working with the Russian side.
The source says both Russia and Ukraine vowed not to strike each other's capitals during the talks.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 15:04:17 UTC.
Update
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Vladimir Putin ordered Russian forces not to strike Kyiv for three days from midnight to allow US negotiators to hold talks there.
Peskov said the order was linked to the preparation and conduct of talks by American negotiators in Kyiv.
Oleksandr Ganzha said a Russian strike in Kamianske killed five people and wounded five others.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 13:21:25 UTC.
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A senior Ukrainian official told AFP the envoys were expected in Kyiv on Sunday.
Axios reported that the envoys would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday.
Donald Trump said the envoys were carrying a proposal to end the war but did not say whether it involved Ukraine ceding territory.
Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of trying to disrupt the envoys' visit with strikes on Kyiv's airports and a target in Dnipropetrovsk region.
Zelensky said Ukraine would not launch airstrikes during the envoys' trip and called on Russia to do the same.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 10:56:50 UTC.
Update
Russian agencies said US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner landed in Moscow on Saturday.
RIA Novosti said their plane touched down at 12:52 pm (0952 GMT).
After talks in Moscow, the envoys are expected to travel on to Kyiv.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 10:12:18 UTC.
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Oleksandr Ganzha said a Russian strike killed four people and wounded five in Kamianske in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Trump said Witkoff and Kushner were being sent to see whether progress was possible and were carrying a proposal to end the war.
The item adds that Ukrainian airspace has been closed since Russia's full-scale invasion and that visiting officials have largely travelled to Kyiv by train.
Zelensky said Ukraine would adjust its air operations so there would be no threat to diplomacy from the Ukrainian side.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 10:04:23 UTC.
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Russian agencies reported that US envoys landed in Moscow.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 10:05:01 UTC.
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Zelensky said the strikes hit civilian targets including Kyiv's two airports.
Zelensky said the strikes were a reaction to discussions about possible US aircraft travel to Ukraine.
Zelensky said there would be no threats to diplomacy from the Ukrainian side.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 09:18:47 UTC.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russian strikes on Ukrainian airports ahead of expected US envoy visits.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 09:10:13 UTC.
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Oleksandr Ganzha said a Russian strike in Kamianske killed four people and wounded five.
The item adds that the diplomatic push follows a rare Moscow visit by CIA director John Ratcliffe, according to US media.
The item adds that the United States welcomed Russia's finance minister at a G20 gathering in North Carolina earlier in the week.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 04:09:27 UTC.
Update
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine's SBU security service in central Kyiv hours before Trump's announcement.
Zelensky said the strike was aimed at the office of the agency's acting chief.
The item says it was the first strike on the SBU headquarters since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Zelensky proposed that Ukraine and Russia observe a halt to airstrikes for the duration of the US envoys' trip.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 September 2026 at 02:36:51 UTC.
Update
A senior Ukrainian official told AFP that Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff would visit Kyiv on Sunday.
Axios reported that the envoys would travel on Friday, meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday and meet Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday.
The Kremlin declined to comment on the matter.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 September 2026 at 22:01:27 UTC.
Update
Trump would not say whether the proposal involved Ukraine ceding territory.
The trip would be the first time Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have visited Kyiv since Trump returned to office last year.
Volodymyr Zelensky said he had proposed observing a ceasefire with Russia while the US envoys visit Moscow and Kyiv.
Trump played down Germany's allegation that Russia was behind an attempted drone attack on an airport.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 September 2026 at 19:32:04 UTC.
Update
Trump named Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff as the envoys.
Trump said they were carrying a proposal to end the four-year-old Ukraine war.
Trump said there “may be a good chance” of getting something done.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 September 2026 at 19:01:46 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
No detailed peace proposal or settlement plan was disclosed.
No breakthrough was announced after the Kyiv talks.
Drone and strike figures were given separately by Ukraine and Russia and were not reconciled.
Source
AFP news report published on .