US envoy sees ‘movement’ toward three-way talks with Russia, Ukraine

Also on Monday, Zelenskyy said he and his negotiating team were “coordinating our next steps” following the talks with Trump’s envoys and European officials, but the Ukrainian leader did not elaborate on what those steps would be.

Negotiators from Moscow and Kyiv last met for US-mediated talks in Geneva in February, but did not reach an agreement on territorial issues.

Diplomatic efforts led by Washington have slowed in recent months as the Trump administration shifted focus toward the war with Iran.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022, and the subsequent years of fighting have left hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians dead.

The war has displaced millions of people, ravaged Ukraine’s economy, put Russia’s military under massive strain and has led to the expanded use of drone warfare.

The UN rights chief Volker Turk expressed alarm on Monday at reports of fully autonomous drones killing people in Ukraine, and called for an urgent ban on weapons that can kill without human involvement.

While Kyiv has faced near-nightly attacks, Ukraine has also escalated its retaliatory strikes on Russia in recent months, in part to try to pressure Moscow into coming to the negotiating table.

Talks remain deadlocked in part over the issue of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, which Russia does not fully control but has demanded as part of any peace settlement.