Volodymyr Zelenskiy has held what he described as a “detailed and constructive” call with Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as efforts continue to arrange their visit to Ukraine to advance peace talks.
The Ukrainian president said the date for the trip had not yet been fixed, but that officials on both sides were working to agree a suitable schedule and agenda.
According to Ukraine’s presidential office, Zelenskiy told the two US representatives that the visit could help develop practical decisions aimed at bringing the war closer to an end. The discussions also covered the battlefield and Russian air strikes.
“I also informed them about the situation on the battlefield, where Russia’s gains have been sparse and at the cost of huge losses, and about the strikes,” Zelenskiy said in a message on Telegram.
He added: “We shall see what the US president’s representatives manage to achieve. September could bring about a lot of changes.”
The proposed visit comes as Washington seeks to maintain momentum in its efforts to broker an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine. Zelenskiy said Ukrainian and American negotiating teams would remain in contact while the details were settled.
Black Sea security also under discussion
Turkey is separately pressing Moscow and Kyiv to reach a new arrangement allowing grain exports through the Black Sea, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in Istanbul.
Fidan said Ankara was speaking to both sides about an agreement similar to the Black Sea grain deal, which was established after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 but expired in 2023.
He urged restraint after a series of drone attacks involving vessels in the Black Sea, warning that the deteriorating security situation threatened both maritime safety and global food supplies. Russia and Ukraine are major wheat exporters, and disruption to their shipments could push up prices and increase the risk of shortages in vulnerable countries.
Turkey has also protested to Kyiv over attacks on two Turkish ships. A Hong Kong-flagged tanker later ran aground off Samsun after reportedly being struck by a drone and drifting unmanned for several days.
Black Sea security is expected to feature in talks between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kyrgyzstan, as diplomatic efforts continue alongside the fighting.
