Zelenskyy Says U.S. Is Exploring Russia-Ukraine De-escalation Steps. Moscow Is Striking Kyiv Again.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the U.S. is exploring the possibility of de-escalating hostilities with Moscow during the winter and restarting diplomatic negotiations. However, Moscow continued to target Kyiv on Tuesday, launching a missile barrage that killed at least two people.

Speaking to Axios, Zelenskyy said Washington could make the push as he feels that Russian President Vladimir Putin "needs" U.S. counterpart Donald Trump and doesn't want to "upset him" ahead of the midterms. Asked if Putin could want to give Trump a win before, he said "yeah."

The conversation took place after Trump envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff traveled both to Russia and Ukraine during the weekend. Zelenskyy said the message he got from the envoys was that "the Russians are ready to negotiate." And even though he is skeptical given Russia's recent escalation, he believes Putin is "ready to discuss" ideas to restart diplomacy.

"There are ideas around energy [facilities] and around grain [shipments], around electricity [facilities] and around oil and gas [exports]. We have different interests, Russia and we," he told Axios. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov also addressed the meeting, saying the envoys "formulated a number of ideas regarding possible paths to a settlement" but did not elaborate.

Witkoff, on its end, said they had "very meaningful discussion, substantive, important, and we're very encouraged." However, he noted that Kyiv and Moscow will need to make "compromises" to end the war.

Russia has been escalating attacks as Ukraine launches drone strikes deeper in its territory. Last Friday, Moscow struck the headquarters of Ukraine's Security Service in central Kyiv.

A Russian drone hit the headquarters of the Security Service of Ukraine, known as the SBU, on September 4, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky said the drone appeared to have been deliberately directed at the office of the SBU head.

"The drone was aimed directly at the office of the Head of the Security Service in that building," Zelensky said on social media. He ordered Ukrainian forces to prepare what he described as an "appropriate, tangible response," adding that Kyiv would seek, where possible, to mirror the Russian strike.

The SBU is particularly significant as a target because of its central role in Ukraine's intelligence and covert operations against Russia. The agency has been linked to some of Kyiv's most ambitious operations of the war, including attacks on Russian military infrastructure far beyond the front lines.

The SBU was involved in the 2022 attack on the Kerch Bridge linking Russia to occupied Crimea and the 2025 "Spiderweb" drone operation that targeted Russian strategic bombers. Moscow has also accused Ukrainian intelligence services of involvement in assassinations of Russian military officials and other figures.