US envoys open uncertain path back to Russia-Ukraine talks
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held meetings in Moscow and Kyiv, but no immediate breakthrough was reported as major differences remain.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have met officials in Moscow and Kyiv in an effort to restart Russia-Ukraine peace talks, in a visit described as positive but without an immediate breakthrough.
The details of the meetings have not been made public. Direct trilateral discussions involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States are reportedly under consideration, although no meeting has been confirmed.
An Al Jazeera opinion article by freelance journalist Leonid Ragozin described Russia’s reported demands as including Ukrainian neutrality, no Western military presence, retention of occupied territory and a Ukrainian withdrawal from remaining Ukrainian-held parts of Donbas. Moscow is also reported to be seeking limits on Ukraine’s armed forces and changes to domestic political and language policy.
The source said continued fighting and attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure remained major obstacles. It also reported that Ukrainian and Western officials had pointed to slower Russian advances and Ukrainian strikes inside Russia, while arguing that Russia’s negotiating position had hardened.
The visit may indicate a change in Washington’s diplomatic approach, but its substantive impact remains unclear. The source also described political and financial pressures facing Ukraine, including corruption allegations and a reported gap in its defence budget, claims that have not been independently established in the available material.
