Ukrainians Voice Hope and Doubt as US Envoys Arrive in Kyiv

In Kyiv on Sunday, residents showed a divided mood as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived for talks, part of a renewed effort to end Russia's full-scale invasion. The visit follows a three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday that ended without any breakthroughs.

At a memorial for fallen soldiers in Independence Square, Nataliia Lipei, 67, whose son was killed in 2022, said she hoped the meetings would bring results. "We have so much blood, so much death here, that we must stop all this," she said, adding that Ukraine must rise. Lipei has been part of a nationwide campaign holding a minute of silence at 9 a.m. to honor fallen soldiers.

But not everyone shared her optimism. Oleksandr Pastukhov, 27, who attended the memorial with friends, dismissed the visit as unlikely to change anything. He questioned why Russia was the first stop for talks and pointed to a recent three-day ceasefire that collapsed within hours. "It is naive to think that two people will come and change something," he said.

The envoys' visit aims to revive peace negotiations even as aerial attacks between the two sides escalate. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is ready for constructive talks but insists on peace and security guarantees. Kyiv has rejected Russia's demand to withdraw from parts of eastern Ukraine. Putin and Zelenskyy have agreed to pause strikes on each other's capitals during the talks.