US presidential envoys are ready to step up diplomatic efforts aimed at ending Russia’s war against Ukraine after a brief but “very positive” meeting in Moldova with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to Zelensky’s official Telegram report, the meeting with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner was during a stopover at Chisinau Airport, where the three discussed pushing forward diplomacy to end the war.

“The conversation was very positive,” Zelensky said. “I am grateful for their readiness to work as actively as possible already in the coming weeks.”

He added that, despite much of the world’s attention recently being drawn to tensions around Iran, “our common goal of peace in Europe remains on the agenda.”

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Zelensky said they discussed prospects “in the context of the G7 summit and other events in June,” and that he briefed the US envoys on Ukraine’s assessment of “what Moscow is preparing for.”

The meeting comes amid fresh signs from Moscow that it has no real interest in negotiation talks, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying the war will be decided on the battlefield, not by diplomacy.

In recent days, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has openly mocked Zelensky’s public call for direct talks, brushing it off as “rude” and insisting their “meeting would be pointless.”

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While the Kremlin dismisses Ukrainian proposals, Zelensky is gathering support from Western capitals, most recently at the E3 plus Ukraine summit in London with France and Germany, with the G7 summit still ahead.

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