On Monday, June 8th, Ukrainian President Zelensky stated that he had a “constructive” dialogue with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, praising their commitment to resolving the Ukrainian war in the coming weeks. Last Sunday, Zelensky flew from Chisinau, Moldova, to London to meet with leaders from the UK, France, and Germany to discuss solutions for the ongoing four-year conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The leaders of the UK, France, and Germany expressed support for Zelensky’s proposal and endorsed his meeting with Russian President Putin to seek a ceasefire. Following the talks, Zelensky flew back to Chisinau and then transferred back to Kyiv on Monday. During the layover, he took to the social media platform Telegram to highlight the “very constructive dialogue” with Witkoff and Kushner.
Zelensky disclosed that they discussed the vision for the upcoming G7 summit in France and thanked the U.S. for its “positive evaluation of Ukraine’s position.” He emphasized gratitude for the commitment of all parties to take proactive actions in the coming weeks for diplomatic mediation to end Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Zelensky’s communications advisor Lytvyn confirmed that the conversation took place over the phone while Zelensky briefly stopped at the airport in Chisinau, Moldova. An insider informed Reuters that the U.S. and Ukraine are considering the possibility of the two envoys visiting Kyiv in the coming weeks. If successful, it would be their first formal visit to Ukraine after holding talks with the Russian government in Moscow.
Additionally, Zelensky shared on Telegram that he spoke with French President Macron via telephone to discuss the content of his conversation with the U.S. envoys and coordination steps, reviewing the key points of the talks with the leaders of the UK, France, and Germany on June 7th. He emphasized that despite the global focus on the conflict in Iran, the shared goal of peace in Europe should also be a significant agenda item.
Recent reports reveal that Russia has been using a large number of drones and hypersonic missiles to attack Ukraine, while Ukraine retaliated by targeting Russian energy infrastructure. As Zelensky actively seeks diplomatic breakthroughs and returns to Ukraine, Governor Syniehubov of Kharkiv Oblast in northeastern Ukraine reported on Tuesday, June 9th, that Russia launched missile and drone attacks in the region, leading to the tragic deaths of four individuals and over 20 injuries.
On June 8th, the United Nations Security Council held a special meeting where representatives from the EU, U.S., and Asia urged all parties to swiftly reach a ceasefire agreement. UN Deputy Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Ratwatte pointed out that Russia has escalated attacks on major population centers in Ukraine, resulting in at least 30 civilian casualties and 200 injuries.
Ratwatte condemned the Russian military’s attack on humanitarian aid vehicles in the southern Kherson region, causing injuries to aid workers and volunteers, calling it an “unacceptable assault.” Finnish Foreign Minister Valtonen expressed Nordic countries’ support for an immediate ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and endorsed Zelensky’s proposal for a face-to-face meeting with Putin.
However, Ukrainian Permanent Representative to the UN Melnyk revealed during the meeting that Zelensky’s proposal for a meeting between the two leaders was rejected by Putin after Zelensky sent a letter to the Kremlin last week. Russian representative Nebenzya dismissed Ukraine’s proposal as a “coarse ultimatum” and emphasized that Moscow seeks a “genuine” solution.
(Reference: Reuters)