A fresh Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, has raised fresh concerns about prospects for a ceasefire, hours after Moscow signalled its willingness to resume peace negotiations and US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about ending the war.
The attack on Wednesday night struck several houses and injured six people, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko, underscoring the continuing threat to civilians as diplomatic efforts intensify.
The latest assault came on the same day that Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg, following Witkoff’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders in Oslo on Tuesday.
The diplomatic engagements form part of renewed efforts by Washington to broker an agreement between Moscow and Kyiv after three-way negotiations were suspended in February.
Trump said on Wednesday that he believed the parties were closer than ever to ending the conflict, although his administration has yet to secure a settlement despite repeated assurances that he could bring the war to an end.
“The other day I was talking to Vladimir Putin about settling his war with Ukraine, which I think we’re getting closer to, by the way, maybe now the closest we’ve been,” he said.
However, the continued Russian attacks and disagreements over the terms of a possible settlement suggest that significant obstacles remain.
Following the St Petersburg meeting, Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov, said the discussions had lasted about three hours and described some of the proposals under consideration as not particularly useful.
Ushakov nevertheless indicated that another round of negotiations could take place around November 10 in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
He said future discussions would need to address the establishment of a security framework for Russia and Ukraine after the conflict.
Ushakov also repeated Moscow’s position that Russian forces held the strategic initiative along the front line, a claim disputed by Ukraine and its European allies, who have described the battlefield situation as largely stagnant.
Zelensky, meanwhile, has indicated that Kyiv would accept an arrangement to freeze the conflict along the existing front line as an initial step towards ending the fighting.
Speaking to Fox News after his meeting with Witkoff, the Ukrainian leader said a ceasefire would help stop further killings, while security guarantees for Ukraine could be negotiated subsequently.
Witkoff described his meeting with Putin as constructive, while US presidential adviser Jared Kushner, who participated remotely, said substantial work remained but that there was an opportunity to develop a framework for lasting peace and security.
Despite the renewed diplomatic activity, relations between Washington and Kyiv remain strained over the conduct of the war and the level of American support for Ukraine.
Trump has questioned Zelensky’s leadership and suggested that someone else should negotiate on Ukraine’s behalf. He has also criticised Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries, linking them to rising fuel prices.
The US administration has faced criticism from some lawmakers following its decision to ease sanctions on Russia, allowing Russian diesel to enter international markets. The move came only weeks after Trump signed legislation authorising additional sanctions and tariffs targeting countries importing Russian oil and gas.
Ukraine and its European allies have also expressed concern over Washington’s handling of intelligence sharing and military support.
Kyiv last week accused the United States of withholding intelligence that could have helped warn civilians about incoming Russian ballistic missile attacks. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected the accusation as scandalous, while Zelensky said after the Oslo discussions that intelligence sharing was now functioning.
Separately, Ukraine’s military has complained that restrictions on the speed of the Starlink satellite internet network had affected its ability to conduct drone operations against Russian targets. US officials have denied requesting the slowdown, while a bipartisan group of American senators has called for an urgent investigation.
In a separate development ahead of the Putin-Witkoff meeting, Russia released Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American citizen who had been sentenced to nearly seven years in prison over allegations that he fought for Ukraine.
Trump said Hubbard was returning home and that no prisoner exchange had been necessary. Witkoff praised Putin for authorising the release, prompting questions about the language used by American officials in dealing with the Russian leader.
US Vice-President JD Vance defended Witkoff, saying the envoy’s responsibility was to conduct diplomacy and secure results, highlighting Hubbard’s release as a positive outcome.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and currently controls about 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory.
While the latest diplomatic contacts have revived hopes of renewed negotiations, the missile attack on Kyiv highlights the gap between political statements about peace and the realities of a war that continues to claim lives and threaten civilian communities.
