US envoy sees 'movement' toward three-way talks with Russia, Ukraine

US envoy Steve Witkoff reported on Monday (Sep 7) that discussions between Ukraine and Russia over the past weekend had generated progress, potentially paving the way for the revival of three-way peace talks. These talks aim to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II, which began with Russia's 2022 invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Witkoff, a special envoy to the US, traveled to both countries alongside Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, during the weekend negotiations.

According to a senior Ukrainian official, the envoys presented new and more effective proposals for ending the war. However, Zelenskyy cautioned that the fighting was expected to persist throughout the winter. The Kremlin, on the other hand, did not rule out holding three-way talks between the United States, Ukraine, and Russia to bring an end to the conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that it was premature to discuss the venue or specific dates for these talks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that his team was coordinating the next steps following the weekend meetings with the US envoys and European officials. Despite the initial meetings in Geneva in February that did not result in an agreement on territorial issues, diplomatic efforts spearheaded by Washington have slowed in recent months as the Trump administration redirected its focus towards the Iran war.

The war, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions of people, has caused significant damage to Ukraine's economy and strained Russia's military. Drone warfare has also emerged as a key aspect of the conflict, with the United Nations' rights chief, Volker Turk, expressing concern over reports of fully autonomous drones killing people in Ukraine. He called for an urgent ban on such weapons that can kill without human involvement.