Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has held a first round of talks in Kyiv with Donald Trump's top envoys, in their first visit since Russia's full-scale invasion.

Steve Witkoff, sitting opposite the Ukrainian leader, told reporters the US team felt "encouraged" by what he called a "substantive" and important discussion.

Jared Kushner said the US president had instructed them to find a way to end the war and "create the right conditions for a long-term, durable peace".

Ahead of the meeting, Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to talk about bringing "the end of the war closer". But he said security guarantees would be required as well as a dignified post-war peace.

Kushner told the Ukrainian president that Trump was "very determined to see an end of this war", and thanked the UK, Germany and France for their efforts in trying to achieve peace.

Witkoff added that the US negotiators would continue for "as long as it takes", praising Zelensky for his "unsurpassed" hospitality on their trip.

The Ukrainian leader earlier greeted Witkoff and Jared Kushner at Kyiv's St Sophia Cathedral, near where a Russian drone hit the headquarters of Ukraine's security services on Friday.

On Saturday, the two envoys met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks on ending the war that were described as "frank" and "constructive" by the Kremlin.

The envoys travelled to Kyiv by train after flying to Poland – Zelensky told the media that it was not possible for them to land their plane despite preparations.

Putin and Zelensky agreed to halt strikes on each other's capitals for three days while the negotiators carry out their trip.

While Witkoff and Kushner were in talks at the Kremlin on Saturday, Zelensky said he and his team were "ready for a substantive conversation".

On Sunday, Zelensky wrote on social media that his country "has always been and will remain constructive".

"We are interested in bringing the end of the war closer. Peace is needed. Security guarantees are needed.

"A dignified character of the postwar peace is needed. Our proposals are ready," he said.

Overnight, Russian and Ukrainian forces continued to exchange strikes, with Ukraine confirming they struck an oil refinery, an airfield, and two air defence systems.

The country's defence ministry said they targeted the Ryazan oil refinery, which supplies the Russian army, and an airfield in Rostov-on-Don.

Earlier, Ukraine's Air Force reported that Russia attacked Ukraine with 108 long-range drones and small cruise missiles.

The country's air defences downed 82 drones and six missiles, but 11 locations were hit, with debris falling at a further seven sites.

AFP via Getty Images

Saturday's talks in Moscow lasted three hours and were held behind closed doors in Putin's official residence in the heart of the Russian capital, according to Russian state media.

Details are still emerging, but both sides have given broadly positive remarks without going into specifics.

Putin adviser Yuri Ushakov described the talks as "constructive, extremely frank".

"The talks were not limited to an exchange of views on resolving the Ukrainian crisis - economic issues and potential major, mutually beneficial Russian-American projects were discussed in considerable detail," he said.

Ushakov also said "note was made of the Russian army's tangible advances in the combat zone" and that there was acknowledgement that talks needed to address "the root causes of the conflict".

Despite an escalation of Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, Russian ground forces have made very slow advances for most of the conflict, incurring enormous casualties. Russia still controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory - areas that it seized back in 2022.

The talks come after Russia and Ukraine have intensified aerial attacks in recent months.

Ukraine says it has struggled to repel ballistic missile attacks due to a lack of interceptor missiles, while Kyiv has focused its strikes on Russian economic infrastructure targets, notably oil installations.

 

SOURCE/AUTHOR : BBC NEWS/Toby Mann and Imogen James