KYIV — A missile attack struck Ukraine's capital Wednesday night, damaging several houses and injuring six people, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko. The assault came hours after Russia signaled willingness to resume peace talks and as US envoys held meetings with leaders in Kyiv and St. Petersburg.
Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, following his talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo on Tuesday. Witkoff also conferred with officials from Norway and Finland.
President Trump said Wednesday he believes a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war is nearing. "The other day I was talking to Vladimir Putin about settling his war with Ukraine, which I think we're getting closer to, by the way, maybe now the closest we've been," Trump said.
Formal three-way talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. suspended in February. Russia then intensified attacks as Ukraine faced a shortage of Western-supplied interceptors for its air defenses.
Witkoff's specific proposals to Putin remain undisclosed. Zelensky indicated that discussions centered on security guarantees for Ukraine and proposals for an energy ceasefire. But Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Putin, told reporters that Witkoff's ideas were "not very useful."
Ushakov suggested that a new round of talks could take place around Nov. 10 in Abu Dhabi. He emphasized that future negotiations must establish a security system for both Russia and Ukraine after the conflict ends.
Putin told Witkoff that Russian forces were advancing "everywhere across the vast front line" and maintained a "strategic initiative," Ushakov said. Ukraine and its European allies dispute this, characterizing the front as largely static.
Zelensky told Fox News on Wednesday that he would accept a deal to freeze the war along current lines. "We call it ceasefire or stop killings like President Trump called it. Freeze and stop. And of course this is minimum what we need from Russia today," he said. Security guarantees for Ukraine could be addressed after a freeze, he added.
Witkoff described the discussions as "constructive." Jared Kushner, participating via video link, acknowledged ongoing challenges but said there remains "hard work ahead."
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Putin began in 2022. Russia currently occupies approximately 20 percent of Ukrainian territory.
