US-brokered Russia-Ukraine peace talks resume after nine-month pause

Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine resumed Tuesday for the first time in nine months, with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner mediating. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Russia is suffering "record losses" on the battlefield, a statement Moscow disputes. The two-day talks come more than four and a half years after Russia's full-scale invasion, with Moscow holding about a fifth of Ukraine. Kyiv's negotiator Rustem Umerov met separately with European, NATO, and EU representatives beforehand, pushing for European involvement in the process, though Russia has rejected a European seat at the table. Zelenskyy said Ukraine's recent battlefield performance, including retaking territory in Donetsk, has strengthened its negotiating position. A US official said negotiators believe both leaders may compromise on territory, but a senior Ukrainian official strongly denied any such concessions would be considered.