Ukraine peace talks expose wide gaps on territory and security guarantees
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Ukrainian and US envoys held several hours of talks in Kyiv on Saturday, joined later by European security advisers including the UK's Jonathan Powell. Both sides described the discussions as substantive, but fundamental differences remain over territory and security guarantees. The talks followed Vladimir Putin's statement to US envoys in Moscow that Russia is making tangible battlefield advances.
Key Facts
- Ukrainian officials claim that in August they gained more territory than they lost and that Russia suffered 42,000 casualties, dead or wounded.
- Zelensky insisted Ukraine would require strong and clear security guarantees, including a strong army, and gave no sign of willingness to give up territory in the eastern Donbas region.
- Witkoff insisted progress had been made and the ingredients for a settlement were there, but admitted both sides would have to make compromises to narrow the differences.
- The US envoys travelled to Kyiv by train because they could not risk flying through the gauntlet of Russian drones.
- Some diplomats talk of a window of opportunity for a possible settlement next spring, while others are less optimistic.
Talks in Kyiv
Ukrainian President Zelensky greeted Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at Kyiv's Saint Sophia Cathedral, an icon of Ukraine's ancient history and a few yards from where Russian drones hit the headquarters of the country's security services on Friday. Both sides held talks for several hours and were later joined by some European national security advisers, including the UK's National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell. Afterwards, all sides spoke warmly of having held substantive discussions and hopefully of reviving past trilateral talks involving both the US and Europe.
Divergent Battlefield Claims
The US envoys had come from Moscow where Vladimir Putin told them Russia was making tangible advances on the battlefield. The story they heard from Ukraine was different, in fact the opposite: Ukrainian officials claim that in August they gained more territory than they lost and Russia suffered 42,000 casualties, dead or wounded. Putin also told the US envoys the root causes of the conflict had to be addressed, shorthand for his longstanding strategic demands that Ukraine cede territory, abandon hopes of joining NATO and reduce the size of its army.
Security Guarantees and Compromise
After the talks, Zelensky insisted Ukraine would require strong and clear security guarantees, including a strong army. He gave no sign of being willing to give up any territory in the eastern Donbas region, an issue he described dryly as difficult. Witkoff insisted progress had been made and the ingredients for a settlement were there, but admitted both sides would have to make compromises to narrow the differences between them. Right now, it is hard to see either side doing that, so the expectation in Kyiv is that the fighting will continue and they will face a hard winter ahead.
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