US envoy sees ‘movement’ toward more talks with Russia, Ukraine

US special envoy Steve Witkoff expressed optimism on Monday about the recent weekend talks in Moscow and Kyiv, indicating that fresh three-way peace negotiations could be scheduled to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II. Witkoff, a business associate of former President Donald Trump, accompanied Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, on a weekend trip to Russia and Ukraine. This was the envoys' first visit to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

According to a senior Ukrainian official, the two negotiators presented new and more effective proposals to end the war. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cautioned that fighting may persist into the winter. On Monday, the Kremlin did not dismiss the possibility of three-way talks involving the US and Ukraine to bring an end to the conflict.

The last meeting between negotiators from Moscow and Kyiv took place in Geneva in February, but no agreement was reached on territorial issues. Diplomatic efforts led by Washington have been relatively quiet in recent months as the Trump administration shifted its focus towards the war with Iran. Over 15,000 civilians have died in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine since February 2022, according to the UN, though the actual death toll is likely to be significantly higher.