US Envoys Head to Kyiv After Three-Hour Putin Meeting

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are traveling to Kyiv for their first talks on ending the Ukraine war after a three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to receive them. The Moscow talks produced no tangible results, though Putin's adviser Yuri Ushakov called them constructive, with Putin emphasizing Russian army advances and the need to address root causes like Kyiv's policies on the Russian language. The visit occurs under a three-day localized ceasefire, with Moscow pledging no air strikes on Kyiv during the envoys' stay. The envoys aim to restart a negotiation process paused since spring, as both sides escalate—Russia targets Ukrainian energy infrastructure with ballistic missiles, while Zelensky threatens to increase drone attacks on Russia from 300 to 1,000 daily. Ukraine's defense minister also discussed air defense needs with Germany's Boris Pistorius ahead of a Ramstein-format meeting.