War appears set to continue into winter, Zelenskyy says
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (photo: Ukrainian Presidential Office)
Three rounds of talks with US representatives were held in Kyiv on September 6, focusing on ending the war, winter support, and security guarantees, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who spoke at a briefing following talks with US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Zelenskyy said three rounds of talks were held throughout the day. He described them as substantive and thanked Witkoff and Kushner for traveling to Kyiv.
"There were three rounds of talks today. All of them were very substantive," the president said.
Representatives from France, the United Kingdom and Germany also attended the meeting. Zelenskyy stressed the importance of partners' participation in the process going forward.
He also joked about the arrival of the US representatives in the capital, saying that for Ukrainians, their visit was better than Patriot systems.
"You sent something today that is even better for our citizens in the capital than Patriot systems. Thank you, and come more often. Then our people will have a chance to live a little," Zelenskyy said.
At the same time, the president stressed that air defense remains critically important for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy on possible continuation of war through winter
The president separately spoke about preparations for the winter. According to him, the talks focused extensively on challenges that could arise in the coming months.
Zelenskyy said there is currently a possibility that fighting could continue through the winter.
"We very much hope that we will have an opportunity to reach an agreement with our American partners and, we hope, receive support from our European partners if the war continues through the winter, as it currently appears it might," the head of state added.
At the same time, the president stressed that both the Ukrainian and US teams view the prospects for further work positively.
What Ukraine expects this winter
If the war continues, Ukraine expects to receive a winter support package from its partners.
"Also, if the war continues through the winter, we are counting very much on a winter package, which I discussed in great detail today with Steve and Jared, as well as with our European partners," Zelenskyy said.
This primarily involves strengthening air defense and supporting Ukraine's energy sector. In addition, Ukraine hopes to gain access to significant volumes of US LNG.
"We are really counting on this support—both air defense and energy support. And you know that we are counting on significant volumes and opportunities to use American LNG," the president said.
Zelenskyy added that the partners support these approaches.
How US assesses chances to end war before winter
During the briefing, Jared Kushner was asked whether he believed the war could end before winter and whether Putin was ready for that.
The US representative said that with any agreement, it is impossible to have complete confidence in the outcome until the deal is actually reached.
According to him, the process could conclude either quickly or slowly. At the same time, Kushner stressed that no progress can be made without meetings and dialogue.
He said the US side is making significant behind-the-scenes efforts to create the right conditions to reach agreements. Kushner acknowledged that this is a very difficult task, but assured that the United States would continue working on it.
He also spoke about cooperation with European partners, who, he said, are likewise actively working to advance the negotiations.
Regarding Putin's position, Kushner said the Russian president has stated publicly certain goals. At the same time, in his view, once the issue of the war is resolved, Russia will be able to pursue other ambitions as well.
The US representative stressed that the United States would continue constructive dialogue to find a path toward reaching agreements.
Security guarantees, reconstruction
The talks also covered security guarantees and Ukraine's future after the war ends.
Zelenskyy stressed that the discussion is not limited to military and security issues. The sides are also discussing economic guarantees, recovery and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
"We are talking not only about security guarantees, but also economic guarantees for Ukraine, recovery and reconstruction," the president said.
According to him, partners also understand the challenges Ukraine will face after the war ends and are already discussing them.
As previously reported, on September 6, three rounds of talks were held in Kyiv between the Ukrainian side and US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The sides discussed ending the war, security guarantees, Ukraine's future, economic recovery, and reconstruction.
Following the talks in Kyiv, the US representatives described the discussions as substantive and emphasized their commitment to achieving lasting peace.
