U.S. envoys push Ukraine-Russia peace talks as war nears fifth year

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Dublin this week, seeking momentum for peace talks as the war approaches its fifth year. The meetings followed the first direct Ukraine-Russia discussions in nine months, held in Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi talks produced no major breakthrough beyond an agreement to swap a large number of prisoners, with another round planned that will include European representatives. Putin reaffirmed that any European troops sent to Ukraine after a ceasefire would be "absolutely unacceptable," while Zelensky insisted Europe will have a voice at the negotiating table, not just on the sidelines. Fighting continues along the 1,200-kilometer front line, with Russia launching missiles and drones at Ukraine overnight and Kyiv reporting disruptions to U.S. Starshield satellite services. A Russian colonel was reportedly killed by a car bomb in St. Petersburg, an attack Moscow blames on Ukraine.