US envoys hold talks with Zelenskiy on first Kyiv visit

US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff held talks yesterday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on ending the war with Russia, making their first visit to Kyiv a day after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zelenskiy published a video of meeting the two in central Kyiv, saying: “Talks have begun.”

Witkoff and Kushner have visited Moscow eight times, but had never held talks in Kyiv until now.

Ukraine’s top security officials and negotiators were also present, along with several European national security advisers.

Witkoff and Kushner met with Putin on Saturday to “advance [US] President [Donald] Trump’s agenda of peace in the Russia-Ukraine War,” a White House official said. “The two sides discussed substantive plans for next steps, which will be announced in the coming weeks, and look forward to equally productive meetings tomorrow in Ukraine.”

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov called the talks “extremely frank,” saying the US “put forward a number of ideas on possible routes to a settlement,” but did not elaborate.

The Russian side told the US side that Moscow was “confident” it could achieve its military goals of seizing the rest of eastern Ukraine, Ushakov added.

Russia and Ukraine have vowed not to strike each other’s capitals for three days around the envoys’ visit.

Zelenskiy yesterday said Ukraine was “ready for the conversation.”

“Ukraine has always been and will remain constructive,” he said.

For many Ukrainians, hopes of a breakthrough remain slim.

“At this point it doesn’t give me any hope. There have already been too many negotiations,” resident Yaroslav said.

In televised comments before the talks, Putin said Russia would ensure the safety of the envoys in Kyiv.

“We will do everything that depends on us to ensure the safety of the negotiation process and mediators such as yourselves,” Putin told Witkoff and Kushner.

Putin also thanked Trump for persisting in his efforts to end the war despite it being “not simple.”

Of the envoys’ trip to Kyiv, he said: “No matter what happens next, contacts of this kind are undoubtedly always beneficial.”

Palau’s president yesterday called for a “unified” Pacific response to a missile test by China in July, while Taiwan and its Pacific allies a day earlier at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) reaffirmed their commitment to peace, stability and prosperity. China gave only a handful of nations short notice before test-firing an intercontinental ballistic missile in July, sparking condemnation from several Pacific leaders.

The 18-member PIF being held in Palau was expected to release a communique after press time last night, with a formal response to the test possibly included. Palau, which invited Taiwan to attend sideline events as an aid partner, urged

MILITARY BUILDUP: Aside from this year’s budget, the defense ministry detailed its mid-term plan to upgrade, develop and procure defense materiel amid Chinese threats The military is reviewing budget execution trends and postponing non-urgent projects to maximize defense spending, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday as it submitted its budget for next year and other defense documents to the legislature. The ministry said China’s “gray zone” harassment of Taiwan has intensified while its military capabilities continue to expand rapidly.

The assessment was included in its “Five-Year Force Buildup and Administration Plan Report” (五年兵力整建及施政計畫報告), submitted alongside the defense budget for this year and the “2026 China Military Power Report” (中共軍力報告書). China continues joint combat-readiness patrols, military exercises and China Coast Guard operations, while using maritime militia

STATE DEPARTMENT: A US official said that Washington would provide more than US$150m for Pacific island nations, with Minister Lin Chia-lung welcoming the plans The US Department of State has announced partnerships with Taiwan on two Palau projects after Washington pledged more than US$150 million for Pacific island nations. Following the opening of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting in Palau on Sunday, the department on Tuesday issued a statement titled “Promoting Pacific Prosperity: US Engagement at the Pacific Islands Forum,” which said that the US’ commitment to the security and prosperity of Pacific island nations “is steadfast and enduring, and remains a core pillar of its ‘America first’ foreign policy.”

Meanwhile, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced at the PIF Partners

China’s continued efforts to inject geopolitical rivalry into the region and disrupt Pacific nations’ discussions of regional issues warrant greater international attention, a foreign affairs official said yesterday. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) last week led a delegation to diplomatic ally Palau to attend events related to the 55th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) summit. However, the absence of some member-state leaders has been interpreted by some people as a sign of fracturing in Pacific unity.

Thirteen PIF members were represented by their heads of state or government, while Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Samoa sent ministerial-level representatives, a diplomatic official