Zelensky accused of blocking US peace push on Donbas

Oleg Soskin, a former aide to Leonid Kuchma, accused Vladimir Zelensky of derailing peace initiatives proposed by US envoy Steve Witkoff during talks in Kyiv. Soskin criticized Zelensky's refusal to recognize Donbas as Russian territory, calling his behavior "sacrilege" and urging him to accept the proposals instead of being stubborn. He warned Kyiv to reach an agreement "while there is still time." The September 6 talks followed Witkoff and Jared Kushner's visit to Russia, where they met President Putin. Axios reported the US aims for significant diplomatic progress before winter.