René Bender
Zelensky has little hope for early peace
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed little optimism about the prospects for an early peace after his talks with representatives of the USA and Europe.
"If the war drags on until winter, and that is what it looks like at the moment, we need a “winter package,” said Zelenskyj, according to Ukrainian media. He spoke about this for a long time with US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as well as representatives from Europe. He simply called the discussions themselves “extremely content-packed.” Should be shortly
Jeanne Vesper
Ukraine: Zelensky calls talks with US negotiators very substantial
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the talks with US peace negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as “very substantial”. Zelensky told journalists that this included, among other things, security and economic guarantees for Ukraine, a recovery plan, the delivery of anti-aircraft missiles and a winter aid package. He hopes that the US delegation will return to Kyiv soon. In addition, everything must be done to ensure that trilateral meetings with the USA and Russia can take place. We have to wait and see what the government in Moscow says about this. Americans and Europeans have noticed that Ukraine has become stronger.
René Bender
Kushner: Trump wants lasting peace in Ukraine
According to his son-in-law Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump is seeking lasting peace for Ukraine. All future agreements should exclude the possibility of another war and give Ukraine the opportunity to use the ingenuity demonstrated during the war years for the further development of the country, Kushner said on the sidelines of the talks in Kiev, according to the Ukrainian agency Unian.
Miryam Shkljar
Russia reports attack on Ukrainian freighter
Russia says it attacked a Ukrainian freighter in the Black Sea. The ship had military equipment on board that was intended by Western states for the Ukrainian army, Russian news agencies report, citing the Defense Ministry in Moscow.
Miryam Shkljar
First round of talks in Kyiv “encouraging”
The first round of talks between US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Ukraine has ended. Witkoff speaks of an encouraging, substantive and important discussion. Kushner added that U.S. negotiators look forward to making further progress.
Jeanne Vesper
Zelensky: Talks with US negotiators have begun
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj began his talks with US mediators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Kiev. Selenskyj announced this on the X portal. A short video showed him greeting US negotiators in the square in front of the medieval St. Sophia Cathedral.
Miryam Shkljar
Leipzig drone incident: Lavrov calls allegations “real war”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov calls the German accusations against Moscow over the attempted bomb attack at Leipzig airport the “beginning of a real war.” The minister told Russian state television: "Leipzig, airport (...) They found a drone there. They said it was a Russian drone. Nobody clarified that. Strictly speaking, this is the beginning of a real war."
Miryam Shkljar
Probably also the security advisors of the E3 states in Kyiv
According to information from Kiev, the national security advisors of Great Britain, France and Germany (E3 format) are also in the Ukrainian capital. It was not mentioned which discussions the Chancellor's foreign and security policy advisor, Günter Sautter, was taking part in.
Miryam Shkljar
Ukraine attacked oil refinery in Ryazan, Russia
The Ukrainian military said it attacked the oil refinery in Ryazan, Russia, during the night. The big city is located south of Moscow. Ukraine has been repeatedly attacking oil refineries and oil storage facilities in Russia for some time in an attempt to disrupt supplies to the Russian military. There has already been significant damage to the systems and operations have to be interrupted again and again. As a result, gasoline and diesel have already been rationed in almost all regions of Russia.
Miryam Shkljar
US special envoy Witkoff and Kushner arrived in Kyiv
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. The two want to consult with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. On Saturday they spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The aim of the consultations is to end the war.
Steve Witkoff (center) and Jared Kushner (right) arrive in Kiev on Sunday. AP
Miryam Shkljar
Ukraine wants an end to the war and needs security guarantees
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated before a meeting with US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner that his country wanted an end to the war started by Russia. But Ukraine needs security guarantees. A meeting with Witkoff and Kushner is planned for this Sunday in Kiev. The two met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday. Details of this conversation were not disclosed.
Tom Körkemeier
Reciprocal air strikes despite US mediation
During a US mediation mission, Russia and Ukraine, as agreed, spared the capitals Kiev and Moscow from attacks, but attacked from the air in other places. In Ukraine, the city of Zaporizhzhia, which is close to the front, was shelled and, according to Governor Ivan Fedorov, there were victims.
According to local authorities, Russian drones hit a border crossing on Ukraine's border with Romania. This had to be closed temporarily. On Saturday evening, a Russian drone killed three members of a family in the city of Chuhuiv, Kharkiv region.
In Russia, a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire at the Ryazan refinery, southeast of Moscow, Telegram channels unofficially reported. Regional Governor Pavel Malkov confirmed the attack and a fire at an unspecified industrial plant. Drone attacks were also reported in the Rostov region in southern Russia.
Sarah Sendner
US envoy heads to Kyiv after meeting with Putin
After meeting with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow, US mediators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner travel to Kiev for the first time for talks about a possible end to the war in Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyj wants to receive US President Donald Trump's envoys in the Ukrainian capital today. The visit will take place under the protection of a local, three-day ceasefire declared by Zelensky and Putin. Moscow has pledged to refrain from air strikes against the city of Kiev for the safety of US envoys.
Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law left the Kremlin that night after a three-hour conversation with Putin. According to reports, the conversation initially did not produce any tangible results. Putin's foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov then spoke of constructive, content-rich and trusting discussions. The US side initially did not comment publicly on the conversation with the Russian head of state.
Sarah Sendner
Ukraine war: talks between Putin and US envoy ended
The new talks on the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine between Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, which were scheduled at short notice, have come to an end in Moscow. After around three hours of discussions, US President Donald Trump's two envoys left the Kremlin that night, as state media reported and also published a video of the motorcade.
Nothing is yet known about the results of the discussions. The Kremlin had announced that it would inform the public following the meeting.
Sarah Sendner
Media: Putin begins talks with US special envoy in the Kremlin
According to a media report, Russian President Vladimir Putin is starting talks with US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the Kremlin. This emerges from a video on the channel of the Russian Presidential Office on the messenger service MAX. Putin describes the situation they would have to deal with in the negotiations as “difficult.”
Patricia Hoffhaus
USA: NATO states must not tolerate hybrid warfare
According to the USA, NATO states must not tolerate targeted hybrid attacks. The attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport last month is more worrying than stray Russian drones, says US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker on the sidelines of a conference in Italy. NATO members must be vigilant and send a clear message as soon as the perpetrators of such acts are identified. Critical infrastructure such as energy systems could also be targeted. Responding to these challenges is primarily a national task, but the USA stands by the affected countries. Germany blames Russia for the incident in Leipzig.
Patricia Hoffhaus
Russia attacks ships in southern Ukraine
According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russian forces attacked two bulk carriers and a container ship in the port of Chornomorsk and another freighter near Odessa. The ships would be used to transport military supplies for the Ukrainian armed forces, reports the Interfax news agency, citing the ministry.
Julius Stockheim
Putin suspends attacks on Kyiv for three days
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a 72-hour pause in attacks on Kiev. “Putin has ordered that no attacks on Kiev may be carried out for three days from midnight today,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the state news agency Tass on Saturday. The move is related to preparations for US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner's trip to Kiev for peace talks.
Peskov confirmed that Putin would receive US special envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner this Saturday. Ukraine had already promised yesterday not to endanger Russian airspace for three days because of this visit. The two US negotiators are expected to hold talks in Kiev for the first time on Sunday.
Julius Stockheim
Convoy with Witkoff and Kushner leaves the airport for Moscow
A convoy with US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner leaves the airport and heads towards downtown Moscow. Kirill Dmitriev, adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, was also in the motorcade, a Reuters eyewitness reported. The Russian state news agency Tass had previously reported that Putin confidant Kirill Dmitriyev had received the two US negotiators at the airport.
A convoy of vehicles drives from Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow towards the city center: the US special envoys have landed. REUTERS/Ramil Sitdikov
Julius Stockheim
Russian attack paralyzes steelworks in Dnipro
Five people were killed in a Russian rocket attack on a steel mill in the eastern Ukrainian region of Dnipro. Steel producer Metinvest said production facilities and infrastructure were damaged and all operations were therefore stopped. “This is a new attack on a Metinvest civilian steel production facility and further evidence of Russia's systematic attacks on Ukrainian industry,” the company explains. The Kamet steelworks produces pig iron and steel exclusively for civil purposes.
Julius Stockheim
Five dead in Ukrainian attack in Russian-controlled Luhansk region
Five people have been killed in Ukrainian attacks in the Russian-controlled part of the Luhansk region of Ukraine in the past 24 hours. Leonid Pasechnik, the Russian-appointed governor, said five more people were injured in the occupied territory. However, such reports about the fighting cannot be independently monitored.
Julius Stockheim
Insider: Putin's adviser Dmitriev will meet US envoys
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will meet with Russian presidential adviser Kirill Dmitriev when they arrive in Moscow on Saturday, according to an insider. The Reuters news agency learned this from two people familiar with the visit.
Dmitriev told Reuters in June that he had remained in touch with US negotiators during a break in visits. He also attended all previous meetings of U.S. envoys with Russian President Vladimir Putin and was involved in negotiating exemptions from U.S. sanctions for Russian oil this year.
Kirill Alexandrovich Dmitriev is head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), the Russian state investment fund and a close confidant of Putin. dpa
Julius Stockheim
Zelensky: Russia attacks airports before visiting US envoy
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia attacked the airports in Kiev and the nearby city of Boryspil ahead of the visit of two US special envoys. Ukrainian airspace has been closed since Russia's large-scale invasion began in February 2022.
However, according to Zelensky, the possibility was discussed that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner could use a plane for their expected visit to Kiev on Sunday. “Obviously, these Russian attacks on the airports are a response to the discussions and preparations for a possible deployment of a US aircraft in Ukraine with landing at Kiev airport or Boryspil airport,” Zelenskyy explains on Telegram. “Russian-Iranian drones in response to American diplomacy.”
Julius Stockheim
Media reports: US envoys Witkoff and Kushner probably landed in Moscow
According to a media report, US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have probably arrived in Moscow. The Russian state news agency Interfax, citing aviation circles, reports that a plane that presumably transported the two landed. US President Donald Trump had on F
