Zelensky warns Ukraine war is likely to continue into winter after US talks

War with Russia “at the moment” looked likely to continue into winter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday, after talks with US envoys visiting Kyiv.

US envoy Steve Witkoff and Zelensky both gave upbeat assessments of the talks but neither announced any breakthroughs on ending the war with Russia.

Witkoff, who is US President Donald Trump’s business ally, and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, travelled to Kyiv a day after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow – the latest of several visits to the city.

Sunday’s trip to Kyiv was their first visit to the Ukrainian capital, which has been hit by deadly Russian strikes for more than four years.

Zelensky said: “We very much hope that we will be able to reach agreements with our American partners, and we are counting on the support of our European partners if the war continues in winter – and this is how it appears at the moment.”

Zelensky also said Ukraine would hold talks with the US, France and Germany but did not elaborate.

The Ukrainian leader, who has called for a meeting with Putin before, repeated his call that only a meeting between leaders could solve territorial issues.