Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, came under a fresh missile attack on Wednesday night, injuring six people and damaging several houses, Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said, as diplomatic efforts to end the war gained momentum.
The attack came hours after Russia said it was “ready in principle” to resume peace talks and US President Donald Trump said the parties were closer than ever to ending the conflict, BBC reports.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Wednesday, following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of Norway and Finland in Oslo on Tuesday. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner also participated in the latest discussions via video link.
Witkoff described the meeting as “constructive”, while Zelensky said his discussions with the US envoy covered security guarantees for Ukraine and proposals for an energy ceasefire.
Following the meeting, Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov said another round of trilateral talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States could take place around November 10 in Abu Dhabi. He said negotiations should focus on establishing a security system for both countries after the conflict ends.
Ushakov also repeated Putin’s claim that Russian forces were advancing along the front line and held the strategic initiative. Ukraine and its European allies, however, have disputed Moscow’s assessment, describing the battlefield situation as largely stalled.
Zelensky said Ukraine would accept a deal to freeze the war along the current front line, describing a ceasefire as the minimum requirement. He added that security guarantees could be discussed afterwards.
The renewed diplomatic push follows the suspension of trilateral talks in February. Russia blamed large-scale Ukrainian strikes during its general elections last month for disrupting negotiations, while Russian attacks intensified amid Ukraine’s reported shortages of Western-supplied missile interceptors.
Despite Trump’s repeated promises to end the war, no agreement has been reached. His efforts have also been complicated by growing tensions with Kyiv.
Trump has called for Ukraine to have a different leader to negotiate on its behalf and blamed Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries for rising fuel prices. He also faced criticism from Democratic and some Republican lawmakers after easing sanctions that allowed Russia to release large quantities of diesel into US and global markets.
The decision drew criticism from Zelensky and Ukraine’s European allies, particularly as Washington had authorised fresh sanctions and tariffs against countries importing Russian oil and gas just weeks earlier.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory. Despite renewed diplomatic contacts, major disagreements over security guarantees and the terms of a settlement continue to complicate efforts to end the war.
