Witkoff: 'Movement' on Russia-Ukraine-US trilateral talks — SkimNews
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- US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on Monday (Sep 7) that 'substantive progress was made' in weekend discussions with Russia and Ukraine, including 'movement on scheduling additional trilateral talks.'
- Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Russia and Ukraine over the weekend; Sunday's appearance in Kyiv was their first official trip to the Ukrainian capital, and a senior Ukrainian official told AFP the envoys brought 'more effective' proposals.
- The Kremlin did not rule out three-way talks with the US and Ukraine, but spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was 'too early to say anything about the venue or the exact dates.'
- Zelenskyy said he was 'coordinating next steps' with his negotiating team after the envoy meetings, but warned that fighting appeared likely to continue into the winter.
- Negotiators from Moscow and Kyiv last met for US-mediated talks in Geneva in February, but deadlocked over territorial issues, with Russia demanding Ukraine's eastern Donbas region as part of any settlement.
- UN rights chief Volker Turk expressed alarm at reports of fully autonomous drones killing people in Ukraine, calling for an urgent ban on weapons that can kill without human involvement.
- US-led diplomatic efforts on Ukraine have slowed in recent months as the Trump administration shifted focus toward the war with Iran.
Why it matters: After months of stalled diplomacy, the US is re-engaging on Ukraine with a fresh envoy trip — but Moscow and Kyiv last deadlocked over the Donbas in February, and Zelenskyy himself expects fighting to continue through winter. The UN's parallel alarm over autonomous drones shows the battlefield is evolving faster than any negotiation.
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