Zelensky Confers With US Envoy Witkoff Amid Strained Kyiv Relations

Zelensky meets US envoy Steve Witkoff to salvage relations amid rising tensions over delayed defences.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with United States special envoy Steve Witkoff on Tuesday. The talks represent an effort to mend ties between Kyiv and Washington after sharp recent deterioration. Relations have grown fraught as Donald Trump courts Moscow and Ukrainian officials protest the withholding of critical military defences.

• The diplomatic frictionKyiv has raised concerns over Washington holding back vital defence supplies.
• The political contextDonald Trump recently described Russia's stance toward Ukraine as fine, aggravating tensions with Kyiv.