Zelenskyy says talks with US envoys cover air defense needs

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday concludes three rounds of talks with US envoys in Kyiv, the last of which attended by national security advisors from the UK, France and Germany.

Describing the conversations as "very substantive," Zelenskyy says they cover air defence needs, security and economic guarantees for Ukraine as well as a winter support package.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrive for a media briefing in their diplomatic push to bring an end to Moscow's four-and-a-half-year all-out war.

The two Americans have just wrapped up a meeting the previous day with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which Witkoff says has produced "new ideas" that are later brought to Kyiv.

Witkoff adds that the US is pursuing a "diplomatic resolution" rather than a "kinetic resolution," and points to the presence of E3 national security advisors as evidence that "collaboration is critical" to reaching a deal.

"The president asked Jared and I to come here and to restart conversations, negotiations because this is so important to him. We came here and I think we really feel good about what has happened in the conversations in Moscow and now the conversations here," he says.

Kushner says Washington is eyeing a "win-win" outcome and that the two envoys hope to revive trilateral talks involving Ukraine and Russia.

"What President Trump has been focused on is how do we create a framework that could actually build, lead to a durable peace. And we have a place where both countries can focus on fulfilling their huge potential, and they can find ways to benefit from each other and not have hostilities between each other."

For his part, Zelenskyy says European representatives, Ukraine and the US agree to meet in the future to continue negotiations though a location has not been set.

Citing mounting casualties caused by intensified Russian strikes, Zelenskyy states that the US is planning to step up production of Ukraine's much-needed Patriot interceptor missiles next year, and Germany is also expanding its production under the current licensing deals.

The Ukrainian leader says territorial issues remain on the table but reiterates his view that such issues must ultimately be resolved directly at the level of national leaders.