Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that the Russia-Ukraine war is likely to continue into the winter despite ongoing US-led efforts to broker peace, saying Ukraine must prepare for further Russian attacks on its cities and critical infrastructure.
Zelensky spoke after meeting US President Donald Trump’s top envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, in Kyiv. The discussions ended without a major breakthrough, although Witkoff described the talks as “substantive” and said he was encouraged by the progress made.
The US envoys travelled to Ukraine after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow the previous day as part of efforts to find a pathway towards ending the conflict.
Zelensky said Ukraine wanted a just and lasting peace that would prevent Russia from launching renewed aggression. He said Ukrainian, European and American officials would meet again soon to continue the discussions and called for a trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States.
Witkoff expressed optimism about the negotiations, saying the US team believed there would be a positive outcome. Kushner said the discussions with Putin focused on ideas that had previously failed and what would be required to achieve a “durable peace”.
Witkoff said the meeting with Putin was necessary because the US delegation wanted to understand the Russian leader’s position before travelling to Kyiv.
However, Zelensky said Ukraine must prepare for another difficult winter if the war continues, particularly by strengthening its air defence and securing its energy infrastructure.
Ukraine has relied heavily on US-made Patriot systems to intercept Russian ballistic missiles. Zelensky said Kyiv also needs to develop its own anti-ballistic defence capabilities, while expecting increased US production of interceptors next year.
The concern is heightened by Russia’s previous pattern of targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during winter, when attacks can have a severe impact on civilians.
Despite diplomatic efforts, Russian and Ukrainian forces continued exchanging attacks. Ukraine said it struck an oil refinery, an airfield and two air-defence systems, while Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 108 long-range drones and small cruise missiles.
Ukraine said its air defences destroyed 82 drones and six missiles, although 11 locations were hit and debris fell at seven other sites.
The latest diplomatic push followed a three-hour meeting between the US envoys and Putin in Moscow. Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov described the discussions as constructive and frank, saying the sides discussed the war, economic issues and possible Russian-American projects.
Ushakov also pointed to what he described as Russian military advances and said negotiations needed to address the “root causes” of the conflict.
Russia continues to control about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory seized during the war, while its ground forces have generally made slow advances despite heavy casualties.
For now, Zelensky’s warning reflects the difficult reality facing Ukraine: diplomatic efforts are continuing, but with attacks still ongoing, the country is preparing for another potentially dangerous winter.
