Zelensky says US, Ukraine in 'nonstop communication' after talks with Witkoff and Kushner amid tensions with Trump

Ukrainian President Zelensky held talks with Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, saying Kyiv and Washington are preparing diplomatic steps to end the war with Russia amid growing tensions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday (Oct 18) held talks with US President Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner amid tensions between Kyiv and Washington. Following the talks, Zelensky said that the Ukrainian and US teams "maintain virtually nonstop communication". He added that they are "also preparing the next steps in diplomacy" as part of efforts to end the war with Russia that has been going on for more than four years.

In a post on X, Zelensky wrote, "Peace comes only through strength and cooperation built on trust. We are doing everything on our part to make this happen, and to ensure that America's position is strong and helps bring peace closer. Peace that everyone, except Russia, has been waiting for over the past four and a half years."

Speaking about his talks with Witkoff and Kushner, the Ukrainian leader said, "We discussed the results of our teams' meeting in Florida. Our teams maintain virtually nonstop communication. We are also preparing the next steps in diplomacy. We constantly inform our partners about the real situation with Russian strikes, which do not cease for a single minute, and about air defense issues."

He further expressed Ukraine's willingness to "work constructively", saying that a lot depends on America's position on the matter.

"A lot here depends precisely on America's position. Ukraine remains ready to work constructively, honestly, and toward a real result. I thank everyone in America who supports Ukraine and this particular approach," he said.

This comes amid a growing rift between Kyiv and Washington over a US-Russia diesel agreement. Zelensky has criticised the easing of restrictions on Russian diesel exports, arguing that it could benefit Moscow without securing concessions.

Trump had repeatedly warned Kyiv against targeting Russia's oil refineries, saying that it has led to a rise in fuel prices in the US ahead of the upcoming November 3 midterm elections. Meanwhile, reports earlier suggested that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had also raised the possibility of limiting intelligence-sharing with Ukraine if the refinery attacks continued. A US official denied that a threat had been made.

Trump's energy ceasefire that wasn't

A week earlier on October 11, Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine, saying it was "effective immediately". However, neither Kyiv nor Moscow confirmed it. Zelensky said that Trump's announcement was "news" to him, although he said that Ukraine would abide by it if Moscow did the same.

Just hours later, Kyiv accused Moscow of striking at least six of its energy infrastructure facilities just hours after the announcement. Following Russian attacks, the Ukrainian president earlier declared that Kyiv will no longer abide by US President Donald Trump's energy ceasefire that demanded a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure. Both sides have continued to trade massive attacks on each other's energy infrastructure, despite Trump's so-called energy ceasefire.

Days earlier, Trump claimed that the Ukrainian president "doesn't want to settle" the ongoing war with Russia, adding that while both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky would like to see the war end, "but I think I find Zelensky to be more difficult to deal with than Putin."