Peace talks rich in symbolism but fundamental differences between Russia and Ukraine remain

Peace talks were heavy with symbolism, but the core differences between Russia and Ukraine still remain

The discussions in Kyiv carried plenty of symbolism. There was the image of Donald Trump’s envoys arriving on Ukrainian soil for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

There was also the fact that they had to come by train, since flying was too risky and would have meant facing Russian drones — weapons launched on the orders of the man whose table they had sat at in the Kremlin only hours earlier.

Then there was the symbolism of Ukrainian President Zelensky welcoming Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at Kyiv’s Saint Sophia Cathedral, not only a symbol of Ukraine’s ancient past, but also only a few yards from the site where Russian drones struck the headquarters of the country’s security services on Friday.

It did not take much to understand the message Zelensky was sending.

The two sides talked for several hours, and later some European national security advisers joined them, including the UK’s National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell.

Afterwards, everyone spoke positively about having held substantive talks. They also expressed hope about reviving earlier “trilateral talks” involving both the US and Europe.

But the basic disagreements remain. The US envoys had just come from Moscow, where Vladimir Putin told them Russia was making “tangible advances” on the battlefield.

The account they heard in Ukraine was different — in fact, the opposite. Ukrainian officials say that in August they gained more territory than they lost, while Russia suffered 42,000 casualties, dead or wounded.

Putin had also told the US envoys that the root causes of the conflict must be dealt with, a reference to his long-standing strategic demands that Ukraine give up territory, abandon hopes of joining Nato, and shrink its army.

After the talks, Zelensky said Ukraine would need “strong and clear” security guarantees, including a strong army. He also gave no indication that he was prepared to surrender any territory in the eastern Donbas region, an issue he described dryly as “difficult”.

Witkoff said progress had been made and that the elements for a settlement were in place.

But he acknowledged that both sides would need to compromise in order to reduce the gap between them. At the moment, it is difficult to see either side doing that.

So for now, the expectation in Kyiv is that the war will go on and that a difficult winter lies ahead.

Some diplomats speak of a window of opportunity for a possible settlement next spring. Others are less hopeful.

Zelensky thanked the US envoys for coming because the short-term pause in air strikes agreed by both sides had given Kyiv residents a brief break. Few believe it will last long.