Zelenskyy Backs US Peace Ideas From Kushner and Witkoff, Eyes Trump Talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff brought some "very good, worthwhile ideas" to Kyiv for ending Russia's war, and he said he hopes to meet President Donald Trump within two weeks. The envoys held separate meetings in Kyiv and Moscow over the weekend with Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, AP reported.

Zelenskyy said he is counting on meeting Trump around Sept. 20, when the U.N. General Assembly is due to be held in New York. He said he will press for more Patriot air defence systems, which Ukraine needs to counter Russian ballistic missiles.

The diplomatic push did not produce a visible breakthrough. After a brief weekend truce in the two capitals during the American visits, Russia and Ukraine resumed deadly air attacks on Tuesday.

Peace Talks Stalled

Zelenskyy thanked Washington officials for trying to unblock negotiations that have been stuck since early this year with little progress. In audio messages answering reporters' questions, he said, "As for the peace package that Kushner spoke about and the new ideas, I'll tell you frankly, there were indeed a couple of very good, worthwhile ideas."

He said the proposals will remain under wraps for now. He also voiced hope that trilateral talks between delegations from Ukraine, Russia and the US can take place in the fall.

Ukraine is "ready to find a compromise" on grain exports and energy. Both areas remain sensitive because Moscow and Kyiv have targeted grain shipping in the Black Sea, while Ukraine has hit Russian oil sites and Russia has pounded Ukraine's power grid before winter.

The Kremlin struck a different note. "We're convinced the victory is very close. We're very confident in our military potential," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, while insisting Russia wants a peaceful solution and welcomes Trump's diplomatic efforts.

War Claims And Reality

The war has now run for more than four years since Russia invaded Ukraine. Moscow has tried to portray itself as negotiating from a position of strength as its forces continue to push in the east.

Outside assessments are far less upbeat for Russia. European officials and Western analysts say its bigger army is unable to make significant progress on the 1,250-kilometer (800-mile) front line.

Russia is trying to capture the eastern Donetsk region, part of Ukraine's industrial heartland, but gains have been limited.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said on Sunday, "Russian forces will not seize Donetsk ... until 2032 at their current rate of advance - if they can seize it at all." It added, "The Russian rate of advance has slowed significantly across the theater since 2025, when Russia's rate of advance had already begun to slow."

Overnight Strikes Damage

Fighting quickly returned to the skies. Russia and Ukraine resumed their aerial war on Tuesday after the weekend truce linked to the US visits.

Russian attacks killed at least three civilians and wounded 16 others in Kyiv, while Russian officials reported three people killed and 13 wounded in Moscow-run areas. Ukraine's Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi said at least 16 people were wounded in Kyiv.

The barrage lasted for hours. Explosions were heard in Kyiv for nearly five hours, Vyhivskyi said. Russia's main targets were Kyiv and the southern Odesa region, though there was no immediate casualty tally from Odesa.

Damage in the capital was widespread. Vyhivskyi said more than 50 sites were hit in Kyiv, including residential buildings, dormitories, schools, shops, gas stations and a flour production plant.

Ukraine's foreign minister condemned the strike. Andrii Sybiha called it "a horrific attack" and wrote on X, "His ballistic missiles speak louder than his words on diplomacy." He added, "Strike after strike on residential buildings brings him no closer to winning this war - it is nothing but senseless terror."

The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces overnight launched a massive strike on Ukrainian military industry facilities. It said the targets included sites storing Ukrainian drones and cruise missiles, transport and logistics centers for military cargo in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, and infrastructure at the port of Chornomorsk in Odesa used for "unloading military cargo".