US envoys may visit Kyiv and Moscow for new Zelensky-Putin talks

US President Donald Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may visit Kyiv and Moscow after talks in Abu Dhabi to hold direct meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Axios reported citing a US official. The White House has spent recent weeks trying to persuade Putin to return to negotiations, hoping that steps like lifting sanctions on Russian diesel sales will make the Kremlin more open to compromise. US officials said Witkoff and Kushner have been in daily phone contact with Ukrainian and Russian representatives for two weeks, and Washington views prospects for progress optimistically. However, significant differences remain, particularly on territorial issues, as Russia demands control over all of Donbas while Ukraine insists on the current front line. Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities continue, and US officials acknowledge that security guarantees for Ukraine must be resolved alongside territorial questions.