US envoys Witkoff, Kushner spearhead Russia-Ukraine diplomacy push

US envoys John Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been actively engaged in diplomacy between Russia and Ukraine, holding talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv following meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Despite the meetings, analysts remain skeptical about the potential for a renewed peace initiative, as it seems to offer limited progress.

Russian President Putin informed the envoys that achieving peace in the conflict is "not simple," while Ukrainian President Zelenskyy urged both leaders to meet directly. Witkoff emphasized the need for compromises during the discussions. The diplomatic push comes amid an intensifying aerial war, with Moscow striking Kyiv's security service headquarters for the first time on Friday.

Critics, such as former Australian general Mick Ryan, argue that the current diplomatic approach is doomed to fail, as it has done in the past.

Brief written by urgent.news from Semafor's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.