Kyiv says held 'substantive' talks with US

KYIV: Kyiv held "substantive" talks on security and economic issues with Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff, with more discussions expected in Davos this week, Ukraine's security chief said Sunday. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has said he hopes to sign documents with the US on security guarantees at Davos, said his team had held several rounds of talks in the US.

"We had substantive discussions on economic development and prosperity plan as well as security guarantees for Ukraine," security chief Rustem Umerov said on social media.

More talks will be held at this week's Davos Economic Forum, he added.

The talks came as the fourth anniversary of Moscow's invasion looms and as Russia has pounded Ukraine's energy facilities during a freezing winter - with parts of Kyiv still without heating in temperatures as low as -12C.

The Ukrainian team held talks with Kushner, Witkoff and US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. Kyiv wants clarity from allies on post-war security guarantees.

"There have already been several rounds of negotiations. They are working on the documents needed to end the war," Zelenskyy said in his evening address. 

He said he doubted Russia truly wanted to end its invasion, arguing that Moscow was instead focused on "missile strikes" and forcing "blackouts" in Ukraine. 

Russia was striking Ukraine's energy grid every night, Zelenskyy said.

Some 58,000 workers in the country were racing to repair "power grids and power generation objects, as well as the heating network", he added. 

The situation in the capital, he said, was "very difficult".

Zelenskyy's new chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov, said Sunday Ukraine would receive heating equipment from Italy to "support the regions most affected by Russian terror".