Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held three rounds of intensive and extremely substantive negotiations in Kiev with US President Donald Trump’s special envoys – Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The American delegation arrived in the Ukrainian capital by train directly after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The meetings in Kiev were also attended by the national security advisers of the “Euro Troika” countries – Great Britain, France and Germany.
Main highlights of the negotiations: “Winter Package”, territories and peace framework
After the discussions, Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that the focus was on the parameters for ending the war and urgent support for the country in short term plan.
- The Critical “Winter Package“: Zelensky stressed that Ukraine is extremely counting on a new emergency “winter package“ if military operations continue into the cold months. The country urgently needs to strengthen air defense (ADF), energy support and ensure supplies of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) to protect critical infrastructure.
- The territorial issue: The topic of the occupied territories was raised during the dialogue. The Ukrainian head of state noted that he remains of the opinion that such complex issues can be finalized only at the level of leaders.
- Security guarantees: The "prosperity plan" and long-term economic guarantees were discussed. Zelensky pointed out that the most important security guarantee remains a strong and modernly equipped Ukrainian army, which, however, requires serious international resources.
For his part, Jared Kushner told the media that President Donald Trump is extremely seriously focused on finding a way out of the war and stopping the bloodshed, with the goal of creating a stable framework for long-term peace. Steve Witkoff added that Washington is insisting on resuming the trilateral negotiation format, tried six months ago, in order to achieve real de-escalation.
A new trilateral meeting is coming
Zelensky announced that the parties have already reached a firm agreement to hold another meeting in the near future between Ukraine, Europe and the United States. The venue is still being specified, with Kiev expressing full readiness to host the meeting again on Ukrainian soil. According to American representatives, the White House plans to officially announce the next steps in the negotiation process within a few weeks.
Pope Leo XIV called for the triumph of diplomacy
The Vatican also reacted to the growing diplomatic pressure. During the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square, Pope Leo XIV expressed strong hope that the renewed negotiations will yield concrete results and open up a lasting space for diplomacy. The head of The Catholic Church has expressed deep pain over the ongoing Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure and called for a definitive end to the violence.