Zelensky says talks with U.S. envoys "very substantive"

KIEV, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that talks with U.S. envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were "very substantive."

The two sides discussed resuming negotiations on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, security and economic guarantees for Ukraine, and a winter support package, Zelensky told reporters at a briefing following the talks.

"We are very much counting on both air defense and energy support, and we are counting on a serious volume and possibilities of using American LNG," Zelensky said.

Representatives from European countries including Britain, France and Germany joined their discussions at the third round, Zelensky said, adding the three sides had agreed to meet in the future to continue negotiations.

He also stressed that efforts were underway to revive trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States and Russia aimed at ending the conflict.

For his part, Witkoff told reporters that the two U.S. peace envoys had made "significant progress" in Moscow and hoped that trilateral talks would be announced soon.

Witkoff and Kushner travelled to Kiev earlier Sunday for their first visit to Ukraine after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Delegations from Ukraine, the United States and Russia previously held two rounds of talks in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23-24 and Feb. 4-5, followed by another round in Geneva on Feb. 17-18, in an effort to find a path toward ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The trilateral negotiations subsequently stalled and have remained suspended. ■