Participants in Kyiv negotiations have effectively acknowledged that the war will not end before winter, sources told the Financial Times. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner brought updated proposals but offered few new ideas, while Washington is already discussing with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy how to help Ukraine survive a difficult winter amid expected Russian strikes on critical infrastructure.
The war in Ukraine is not expected to end before winter, a premise now accepted by participants in talks in Kyiv, sources cited by the Financial Times said. The assessment reflects tacit recognition in Washington and Kyiv that a rapid ceasefire is no longer realistic.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner presented updated American proposals during the discussions, but the package contained few fundamentally new ideas, the sources said. The central sticking point remains the part of Donbas still under Ukrainian control, a territorial question that continues to block broader progress.
Against that backdrop, U.S. officials have already discussed with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy how to help Ukraine survive what is expected to be a difficult winter, when Russia could intensify strikes on critical infrastructure. The conversation suggests the immediate priority is sustaining Ukraine through the coming months rather than clinching a quick peace deal.
Earlier trips to Russia by Witkoff and Kushner produced no progress and prompted extremely low expectations in Moscow, where President Vladimir Putin has signaled readiness to halt the war only on Russia’s terms. That history underscores the difficulty of reaching an agreement before the cold sets in.
https://t.me/AnatoliyAmelin/16645