KYIV/ISLAMABAD (MNN); Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Ukraine and the United States had outlined key priorities for future cooperation after three rounds of high-level talks in Kyiv, focusing on winter assistance, the revival of peace negotiations, and stronger security and economic guarantees.
Speaking at a joint press briefing after meeting US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Zelensky described the discussions as highly substantive, saying preparations for the upcoming winter and Ukraine’s long-term defence needs were among the main issues discussed.
“We paid considerable attention to the winter period and the challenges that could arise,” Zelensky said.
He said that if the war continued during the winter, Ukraine was counting heavily on a comprehensive “winter package” that would include enhanced air defence, emergency energy assistance and significant supplies of American liquefied natural gas.
According to Zelensky, the proposed support package is aimed at protecting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure from continued Russian attacks and ensuring the country has sufficient power and heating resources during the harsh winter months.
He also highlighted Ukraine’s growing domestic drone-defence capabilities, saying that around 67 Ukrainian companies were currently involved in developing systems capable of intercepting jet-powered drones on a large scale.
Zelensky said several companies had already achieved promising results, while mass production of effective drone-interception systems could begin soon.
However, he stressed that military preparations were only a contingency plan and that Ukraine’s primary objective remained a diplomatic settlement of the conflict.
“Plan A is to accelerate diplomatic efforts as much as possible and reduce tensions with Russia,” he said.
Zelensky praised Witkoff and Kushner for helping revive diplomatic contacts after months of stalled negotiations. He said their recent discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, followed by talks in Kyiv, had created fresh momentum for efforts to restart peace negotiations.
The Ukrainian president said the talks also involved consultations among national security advisers from Ukraine, the United States and European allies.
He acknowledged that difficult issues, including territorial questions, remained unresolved, adding that decisions on such sensitive matters would ultimately have to be addressed directly by national leaders.
Beyond immediate wartime requirements, Zelensky said the discussions also focused on Ukraine’s long-term stability and post-war reconstruction.
He said Kyiv was seeking not only military security guarantees but also economic commitments under what he described as a “prosperity plan” to support Ukraine’s recovery and rebuilding.
Zelensky stressed that maintaining a strong Ukrainian military would remain the country’s most important security guarantee, supported by long-term resources and commitments from international partners.
Ukraine, the United States and European countries have also agreed to hold another meeting in the near future to continue discussions on achieving what Kyiv describes as a just and lasting peace.
Zelensky said the location for the next round of talks had not yet been decided, adding that the meeting could take place in Europe, the United States or Ukraine.
The discussions concluded a major diplomatic day in Kyiv, marking the first official visit of Witkoff and Kushner to the Ukrainian capital.
The negotiations began with bilateral meetings between Ukrainian officials and the US envoys before expanding into broader discussions involving national security advisers from Britain, France and Germany.
The American delegation arrived in Kyiv by train aboard a service reportedly marked “Peace Express,” as continued Russian strikes made air travel arrangements difficult.
The Kyiv talks followed a meeting lasting more than three hours between Putin and the US envoys at the Kremlin on Saturday.
According to the information provided, Putin agreed to a temporary three-day pause in strikes against Kyiv, while Ukraine agreed to halt attacks on Moscow until Monday. However, the Russian president reportedly rejected a broader ceasefire along the front line.
