Washington revives Ukraine peace talks with new proposals

US mediators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow and Kyiv, reviving prospects for Russia-Ukraine negotiations. Kyiv said Washington presented new, more effective proposals to end the war, though territorial disputes remain a key obstacle. Kushner called his Kremlin meeting with President Vladimir Putin productive. Moscow did not rule out returning to trilateral talks with Ukraine and the US, but said it was too early to discuss specifics. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv is preparing for the next phase of contacts, while noting fighting may continue through winter. The US has led several mediation rounds since President Donald Trump returned to office in 2025 without tangible progress. Both sides continued mutual drone strikes during the diplomatic push, though Putin ordered a three-day pause on Kyiv attacks and Ukraine halted strikes on Moscow during the envoys' visit.