US envoys hold substantive talks in Kyiv and Moscow

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held talks in Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend, failing to produce a breakthrough but agreeing discussions were substantive. A senior Ukrainian official said the proposals were more effective than previous ones. The meetings followed CIA director John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow last month, with reports suggesting he warned against attacking a Nato member state. Treasury secretary Scott Bessent also invited Russia's finance minister to a G20 meeting, while Witkoff and Kushner discussed US-Russia economic cooperation with Vladimir Putin. In a notable development, national security advisers from Germany, France and Britain joined the final hour of talks in Kyiv. Zelenskiy endorsed further discussions involving the US, Ukraine and these three powers, though the EU itself will not have a seat at the negotiating table.