What happened
US negotiators are set to meet with Ukrainian officials to discuss a new unified proposal aimed at ending the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. The meeting follows a visit by US envoys to Moscow and Kyiv last month, where they met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to push for a peace deal.
According to a senior administration official, the proposal will focus on all aspects of the conflict. The meeting will be attended by national security advisors from the E3 countries, the European Union, and NATO. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has confirmed the meeting, which is expected to take place over two days.
The US and Ukraine have been pushing for an end to the war before winter, with US President Donald Trump and Zelenskyy meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last month to discuss the issue. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that the war is at a 'very dangerous' stalemate and could escalate into a broader regional conflict if a peace deal is not reached.
The conflict has resulted in significant loss of life, with at least 30 people killed in a Russian strike on Kramatorsk, Ukraine, on Thursday. An additional 18 people were injured in the strike, which came after the Russian Defense Ministry reported that Russian air defenses had intercepted almost 900 Ukrainian drones overnight.
